American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $4.99 payment

Prepare for the American Academy of Professional Coders exam with our comprehensive quiz, featuring multiple-choice questions designed to enhance your coding skills and knowledge. Ideal for aspiring medical coders looking to succeed in the certification process.

Practice this question and more.


What does the suffix "-gram" signify?

  1. A type of disease

  2. A measurement tool

  3. A record of data

  4. A type of inflammation

The correct answer is: A record of data

The suffix "-gram" commonly signifies a record or a written representation of data or information. In medical terminology, it often refers to various imaging techniques or graphs that document findings, such as in "radiogram" for a written report of an X-ray, or "electrocardiogram," which records the electrical activity of the heart. This demonstrates the significance of the suffix in conveying that a systematic record has been generated, reflecting observations or measurements taken in a medical context. The other options, while related to medical terminology, do not accurately represent the meaning of "-gram." For instance, a type of disease and inflammation are typically signified by suffixes like "-itis" or "-pathy," and a measurement tool would not be described with "-gram." Understanding this can greatly enhance your proficiency in decoding medical terms and their implications in a clinical setting.