Essential Clinical Terminology for Healthcare Professionals
Essential Clinical Terminology and Synonyms
Understanding precise medical language and common synonyms is crucial for effective communication in healthcare settings.
Common Medical Synonyms (English to English)
- A&E Department: Emergency Department (ED)
- Administer Medication: Give drugs
- Attend To: Assist
- Belly: Abdomen
- Bleeding: Hemorrhage
- Bowels: Intestines
- Elective: Programmed
- GP: Family Doctor
- Injection: Jab
- Observations: Vital signs
- Investigation: Test
- Joint: Articulation
- Notify: Inform
- Obstruction: Occlusion
- Operating Theatre: Operating Room (OR)
- Painkillers: Analgesia
- Perform: Do
- Personal Particulars: Personal information
- Physician: Doctor
- Preparations: Arrangements
- Remove: Eliminate
- Sepsis: Generalized infection
- Surgery: Operation
- Take Blood: Draw blood
- To Attend: To go
- To Be Able To: Can
- Visit Patients: Ward round
Clinical Phrases: Spanish to English Translation
These translations cover common interactions and administrative tasks encountered by nurses and healthcare staff.
- Además de en el hospital, los enfermeros pueden trabajar en atención primaria: Apart from the hospital, nurses can work in primary care.
- Administramos inyecciones y preparamos carros: We give injections and set up trolleys.
- Buenos días, señora, soy estudiante de Enfermería y le cuidaré yo hoy: Good morning, madam, I’m a nursing student and I’m going to take care of you today.
- Debemos llegar antes a trabajar porque hay que realizar el relevo: We must arrive at work early because we need to give handover.
- El paciente ha ido a su médico de cabecera: The patient has gone to their GP.
- El paciente ha llegado a Urgencias en ambulancia: The patient has arrived at the Emergency Department by ambulance.
- En los servicios especiales como UCI hacemos turnos de 12 horas: In special services like ICU, we do 12-hour shifts.
- Estoy de prácticas en la 3ª planta, pero algunos días voy a clase: I’m on placement on the 3rd floor, but some days I go to university.
- Estoy en lista de espera esperando cirugía: I’m on the waiting list waiting for surgery.
- El instrumentista de quirófano es una persona muy organizada: The scrub nurse is a very organized person.
- El paciente tenía dolor abdominal porque había un cuerpo extraño en su abdomen: The patient had abdominal pain because they had a foreign body in their abdomen.
- Hay dos tipos de ingresos: ingresos programados e ingresos de urgencia: There are two types of admissions: programmed admissions and emergency admissions.
- Las enfermeras deben colegiarse antes de solicitar un trabajo: Nurses must register before applying for a job.
- La Sra. Smith fue a quirófano para que le extirparan el apéndice: Mrs. Smith went to the operating theatre to have her appendix removed.
- Las enfermeras quirúrgicas realizan las curas en planta: Surgical nurses perform dressings in the ward.
- Necesitamos los datos personales del paciente: We need the patient’s personal particulars/information.
- Necesito sacarle sangre: I need to draw some blood from you.
- No me gusta el turno rodado, prefiero trabajar de mañanas: I don’t like rotating shifts; I prefer to work mornings.
- No tenemos la historia clínica del paciente porque es un ingreso de urgencia: We don’t have the patient’s medical history because it is an emergency admission.
- Por favor, ¿podrías traer el carro de paradas?: Please, could you bring the crash trolley?
- Robert sufrió una sepsis porque tuvo una infección muy grave: Robert suffered from sepsis because he had a very severe infection.
- Voy a coger cita con el médico porque no me encuentro bien: I’m going to make an appointment with the doctor because I don’t feel well.
- ¿Le parece bien si le pongo una inyección ahora?: Is it okay if I give you an injection now?
- ¿Por favor, podría tomarle la tensión?: May I take your blood pressure, please?
Medical Vocabulary (VOC)
Definitions of key terms used in clinical practice and patient assessment.
- ACHE
- Pain
- ALLEVIATE
- Relieve; make better
- APRON
- A piece of protective clothing worn over the front of the body.
- ATAXIA
- Uncoordinated movement
- BEDPAN
- A pot used for bedridden patients.
- BEDRIDDEN
- Bed bound
- BLISTER
- A vesicle in the skin containing fluid.
- BLURRED
- Unclear
- BREAKTHROUGH MEDICATION
- An extra dose of medication taken when pain or symptoms flare up despite regular treatment.
- BREAST
- The mammary gland or the upper front part of the chest.
- BRUISE
- Rupture of small blood vessels under the skin.
- BUTTOCKS
- Muscles of the bottom
- CALF
- The back of the leg below the knee.
- CHEWING
- Mastication
- COMMODE
- A mobile toilet chair.
- CONSTIPATION
- Difficulty in passing feces/faeces.
- CRAMP
- A spasmodic muscle contraction.
- CROUP
- A severe barking cough, often associated with respiratory infection.
- CYANOTIC
- A bluish color of the skin due to lack of oxygen.
- CYST
- A sac containing liquid or semi-solid material.
- DAZED
- Temporarily confused or stunned.
- DISCHARGE
- An excretion or evacuation from the body (e.g., fluid or patient release).
- DISPOSABLE
- One use only
- DISTENSION
- Swelling or inflation, often of the abdomen. (Original text incorrectly listed ‘inflammation’)
- DISTRICT NURSE
- Community nurse
- DIZZINESS
- Vertigo or lightheadedness.
- DRIP STAND
- IV pole
- DROWSY
- Sleepy or lethargic.