auto-

Prefix: auto-

Short Definition

Self; originating from the same individual.

Long Definition

The prefix auto- refers to something that arises from, acts on, or relates to the self. In medical terminology, it often indicates that a process, immune response, graft, or condition originates within the patient’s own body.

Etymology

• Greek autos → “self”

Related Terms

Term	Meaning
allo-	other, different
idio-	self, distinct, personal

Common Medical Terms

• Autograft - graft taken from the same person
• autoimmune - immune system attacks self
• Autonomic - self-regulating nervous system

Documentation Clues

• “Patient’s own tissue used”
• “Self-directed response”
• “Intrinsic function”

Coder’s Notes

Important in graft coding: autografts differ from allografts in CPT and supply billing.

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DERIVATIONS of auto-

TABLE definition AS Definition 
WHERE length(filter(roots, (word) => econtains([[]].roots, word))) > 0 AND file.name !=[[]].file.name
SORT file.name ASC

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Query

TABLE definition AS Definition
FROM #medroot
WHERE length(filter(definition, (word) => econtains([[]].definition, word))) > 0 AND file.name != [[]].file.name

Med terms dictionary Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms