2. doctor's vocabulary

8/13/2019 2. Doctor's Vocabulary

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Vocabulary

Word part of speech Meaning Example sentence

abnormaladj

not normal for the human body This amount of weight loss isabnormal for women yourage.

achenoun/verb

pain that won't go away I can't sleep because myknees ache in the night.

acuteadj

quick to become severe/bad We knew the baby wascoming right away becausethe woman's labour painswere acute .

allergy nounallergic adj

a body's abnormal reaction tocertain foods or environmentalsubstances (eg causes a rash

!our son is e"tremelyallergic to peanuts.

ambulancenoun

emergency vehicle that rushes people to a hospital

We called the ambulance when #osh stopped breathing.

amnesianoun

a condition that causes people tolose their memory

I can't remember the accident because I had amnesia .

amputation nounamputate verb permanent removal of a limb We had to amputate his leg because the infection spreadso quickly.

anaemia nounanaemic adj

occurs when the body doesn'thave enough red blood cells

I have low energy because Iam anaemic .

antibioticsnoun

medication that kills bacteria andcures infections

$y throat infection wentaway after I started theantibiotics .

anti-depressant noun

medication that helps relievean"iety and sadness

The anti-depressants helpedme get on with life after %ucydied.

appointmentnoun

a scheduled meeting with amedical professional

I've made you anappointment with aspecialist in three week'stime.

arthritisnoun

a disease that causes the &oints to become swollen and crippled

$y grandmother can't knitanymore because thearthritis in her hands is so

bad.


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asthma (attack)noun

a condition that causes a blockage of the airway andmakes it difficult for a person to

breathe

I carry an inhaler when I run because I have asthma .

bacterianoun

a disease causing organism To prevent the spread ofbacteria it is important thatnurses wash their handsoften.

bedsorenoun

wounds that develop on a patient's body from lying in one place for too long

If you don't get up and take awalk you will develop

painful bedsores .

benignadj

not harmful (not cancerous We're hoping that the testswill show that the lump in

your breast is benign .

biopsynoun

removal of human tissue in orderto conduct certain medical tests

The biopsy ruled out anumber of illnesses.

blood countnoun

the amount of red and white blood cells a person has

!ou will be happy to knowthat your blood count isalmost back to normal.

blood donornoun

a person who gives blood to a blood bank or other person

Blood donors have to answerquestions about their medical

history.blood pressurenoun

the rate at which blood flowsthrough the body (high/low

)igh blood pressure putsyou at risk of having a heartattack.

bracenoun

a device that holds in&ured body parts in place

!ou will probably alwayshave to wear a brace on yourankle when you &og.

breechadj

position of an unborn baby inwhich the feet are down and thehead is up

We thought it was going to be a breech birth but the baby turned himself around.

brokenadj

a bone that is divided in two ormore pieces as a result of anin&ury

We thought it was &ust asprain but it turned out hisleg was broken .

bruise nounbruised adj

in&ured body tissue that is visibleunderneath the skin

The woman was badlybruised when she came intothe emergency room.

Caesarean section,

C-sectionnoun

procedure that involves

removing a baby from its motherthrough an incision in the

The baby was so large that

we had to perform aCaesarean section .


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woman's lower abdomen

cancernoun

disease caused by theuncontrollable growth of cells

There are many differentoptions when it comes totreating cancer .

cardiopulmonaryresuscitation (CP )noun

restoring a person's breath andcirculation

!ou saved your brother's life by performing CP .

castnoun

a hard bandage that is wrappedaround a broken bone to keep itin place

$y leg was in a cast forgraduation.

chapel, chapelinenoun

a place where loved ones can goto pray for a patient's recovery*

a priest who visits patients in thehospital

If you want a place to praythe chapel is on the third

floor.

chemotherapynoun

type of treatment used on cancer patients

$y mother has already hadthree rounds ofchemotherapy .

chickenpoxnoun

a virus commonly contracted bychildren characteri+ed by itchyspots all over the body

It is best to get chickenpox as a child so that you don'tget it worse as an adult.

coronernoun

a person who determines thecause of death after a person dies

We only call the coroner ifwe think a death issuspicious.

critical conditionnoun

requiring immediate andconstant medical attention

!ou can't see her right now*she's in critical condition .

crutchesnoun

ob&ects that people with in&uredlegs or feet use to help themwalk

I'd rather hop on one footthan use crutches .

cyst

noun

a sac in the body tissue filled

with fluid (sometimes diseased

We're going to remove the

cysts &ust to be on the safeside.

dea! adj

unable to hear The accident left the patient both dea! and blind.

de!iciencynoun

a lack of something necessaryfor one's health

The tests show that you havean iron de!iciency .

dehydratedadj

in need of water It is easy for the elderly to become dehydrated in thisheat.


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dementianoun

loss of mental capacity It is hard to watch a lovedone suffering with dementia .

diabetesnoun

type of disease typicallyinvolving insulin deficiency

,eople with diabetes have toconstantly check their bloodsugar levels.

diagnosisnoun

medical e"planation of an illnessor condition

The doctor would prefer toshare the diagnosis with the

patient himself.

discom!ortnoun

e"periencing pain This pain medication shouldrelieve some of yourdiscom!ort .

disease

noun

a medical disorder that is

harmful to a person's health

I understand that this disease

runs in your family.dislocatedadj

when a bone is temporarilyseparated from its &oint

!ou will have to wear a sling because of your dislocated shoulder.

emergencynoun

a medical problem that needsimmediate attention

It is important that childrenknow which number to dialin case of an emergency .

E (emergencyroom)noun

the hospital room used fortreating patients with immediateand life threatening in&uries

The child was rushed into theE after he had a severeallergic reaction to a beesting.

externaladj

on the outside This cream is for external use only. -o not get it nearyour ears eyes or mouth.

!alse negati"enounadj

a test that incorrectly comes back negative

We had two !alse negati"e pregnancy tests so we didn'tknow we were having a baby.

!amily historynoun

medical background of a person's family members

The doctor was concernedabout my !amily history ofskin cancer.

!ataladj

causing death The doctor made a !atal errorwhen he wrote the wrong

prescription.

!e"er noun!e"erish adj

higher than normal bodytemperature

)e is very !e"erish and histemperature is near danger

point.

!lu (in!luen#a) many types of respiratory or ,eople who have the !lu


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noun intestinal infections passed onthrough a virus

should not visit hospital patients.

!racture noun!ractured adj

broken or cracked bone !our wrist is !ractured andneeds a cast.

germnoun

a micro organism especially onethat causes disease

lowers are not allowed inthe ward to avoid the risk ofgerms being brought in.

geneticadj

a medical condition or physicalfeature that is passed on in thefamily

The disease is part genetic and part environmental.

gro$thnoun

a ball of tissue that grows biggerthan normal either on or under

the skin

That gro$th on yourshoulder is starting to worry

me.heart attack noun

instance in which blood stops pumping through the heart

,eople who smoke are atgreater risk of having a heartattack .

%&'noun

the virus that infects the humanT cells and leads to I-0

%&' can be passed downfrom the mother to her fetus.

hi"esnoun

bumps that appear on the surfaceof the skin during an allergicreaction

I broke out in hi"es after I atethat potato casserole.

illness nounill adj

general term for any conditionthat makes a person feel sick fora certain period of time

)er illness went away whenshe started eating better.

immune systemnoun

the parts of the body that fightdiseases infections and viruses

!ou can't have visitors because your immunesystem is low.

immuni#ation nounimmuni#e verb

an in&ection that protects againsta specific disease

1abies are immuni#ed threetimes in their first year.

incisionnoun

cut in the body made duringsurgery

I had to have stitches to closethe incision .

inconclusi"eadj

unclear We have to do more " rays because the first ones wereinconclusi"e .

in!antnoun

young baby The nurse will demonstratehow to bathe an in!ant .

in!ection nounin!ected adj

diseased area of the body (viralor bacterial

The wound should becovered when you swim to


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prevent it from becomingin!ected .

in!lamedadj

appearance (red and swollen ofan in&ured body part

$y right ankle was soin!lamed it was twice thesi+e of my left one.

in urynoun

damage to the body )er in uries were minor* &usta few cuts and bruises.

intensi"e care unit(&C )noun

section of the hospital where patients get constant attentionand doctors rely on speciali+edequipment

0he will remain in the I23until she can breathe on herown.

internal

adj

under the skin inside the organs The doctors will be

monitoring her for anyinternal bleeding.

itchyadj

feeling discomfort on the skin'ssurface

If you are allergic to thismedication your skin will getred and itchy .

&'noun

a tube that pumps liquids andmedication into a patient's body

The toddler was sodehydrated that the doctordecided to get him on an &' .

lab resultsnoun

tests that come back from alaboratory and help doctorsmake a diagnosis

The lab results have come inand you are free to go home.

lab (laboratory)noun

place where samples of blood/urine etc. are taken fortesting

I'll take these samples downto the lab on my way out.

li!e supportnoun

a machine that keeps patientsalive by helping them breathe

The woman has severe braindamage and is currently onli!e support .

li!e-threateningadj

when in&uries and conditions aree"tremely serious

The victim was shot in two places but the bullet woundsare not li!e-threatening .

light-headedadj

feeling of di++iness and beingoff balance caused by lack ofo"ygen in the brain

If you are feeling light-headed again lie down andcall me.

malignantadj

e"pected to grow and get muchworse (especially related tocancerous cells

I'm afraid at least one of thetumours is malignant .

medical school (med* place where someone trains to be fter eight years of medical


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school)noun

a doctor school I can finally practicemedicine.

ne$bornnoun

an infant that is less than threemonths old

!ou have to support her neck because she is still ane$born .

numbadj

no feeling in a certain body part The needle will make yourlower body feel numb .

+ (operatingroom)noun

the place where ma&or surgeriesand operations take place

!ou must wear a face maskand gloves while you are inthe + .

operation nounoperate on verb

a medical procedure thatinvolves going inside a person's

body in an attempt to fi" a problem

The operation lasted sevenhours but it was successful.

painnoun

strong discomfort in certainareas of the body

We gave your husband somemedicine to relieve some ofthe pain .

pain killer, painrelie"ernoun

type of medicine that takes awaysome or all of the discomfort ofan illness or in&ury

!ou can take two painkillers every four hours.

paraly#edadj

unable to move certain areas ofthe body

We thought her legs wereparaly#ed for life but she islearning how to walk.

patientnoun

a person staying in a hospital ormedical facility

The patients in 4oom 5 arenot getting along.

pharmacistnoun

a person who fills a doctor's prescription and gives peopleadvice about medication

sk the pharmacist if thereis a generic brand of thismedication.

pharmacy, drugstore

noun

a place where people go to buy

medication and other medicalsupplies

!ou should be able to buy a

bandage at the pharmacy .

physiciannoun

doctor sk your family physician torefer you to a specialist.

poison nounpoisonous adj

a substance that is verydangerous if it enters the human

body

The child was bitten by apoisonous snake.

prenataladj

of the time period leading up togiving birth

The woman was well prepared for labour becauseshe took the prenatal classes.


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prescription nounprescribe verb

the correct amount and type ofmedication needed to cure anillness or relieve symptoms

!ou will need to visit yourdoctor to get anotherprescription .

pri"acy nounpri"ate adj

being alone* personal (eg testresults

!ou will have to pay for apri"ate hospital room if youdon't want a room mate.

radiationnoun

high energy 6 rays that destroycancer cells

If the radiation doesn't killall of the abnormal cells thecancer will come back.

residencyresidentnoun

part of a doctor's training thattakes place in the hospital*a student working under a doctor

#ohn is a resident under -r1rown.

routine check-upnoun a doctor's appointment to checka person's general health I'd like to see you a year fromnow for a routine check-up .

scrubsnoun

plain uniform (usually greenwhite or blue worn by medical

professionals

I have some e"tra scrubs inmy locker.

scrub upverb

carefully wash hands before andafter seeing a patient

I have to scrub up and getready for surgery.

second opinionnoun

input from a second doctor aboutan illness or symptom

I went to another doctor toget a second opinion aboutthese headaches.

sei#urenoun

sudden violent movements orunconsciousness caused byelectrical signal malfunction inthe brain

,eople who suffer fromepilepsy are prone tosei#ures .

shock noun

body not getting enough bloodflow

The woman was in shock after being pulled from theriver.

side e!!ectsnoun

other symptoms that might occuras a result of a certainmedication or procedure

7ne of the side e!!ects ofantidepressants is a loss ofappetite.

soreadj

painful I have a sore throat and arunny nose.

spasmnoun

the uncontrollable tightening ofa muscle

8ver since I in&ured my legI've been having musclespasms in my upper thigh.

specialistnoun

a doctor that is an e"pert in acertain kind of medicine

$y family doctor is sendingme to a specialist .


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sprainnoun/verb

an in&ury (less serious than a break to a &oint (ankle wristknee etc

I sprained my knee playingsoccer.

stable conditionnoun

a patient is stable if their medicalcondition is no longer changingrapidly

!ou can see your husbandnow* he is in a stablecondition .

stingnoun/verb

sharp temporary pain It may sting when I insert theneedle.

stress nounstressed adj

worry that causes muscles totighten and blood pressure to rise

!ou need to take some timeoff work and relieve some ofyour stress .

s$elling noun

s$ollen adj

ligaments (parts that hold the

&oints together growing biggerand rounder after an in&ury to a &oint

I knew my ankle was

sprained because it was sos$ollen .

symptomsnoun

pain or physical changes thatoccur because of an illness ordisease

!ou have all of thesymptoms of a diabetic.

temperaturenoun

amount of heat measured in a body* higher than normaltemperature

We brought #esse toemergency because he wasrunning a (high

temperature .tenderadj

painful when touched or used The incision was tender afterthe surgery.

test resultsnoun

medical information that helpsdoctors understand a patient'scondition or body

The test results came backnegative. !ou aren't

pregnant.

therapynoun

treatment aimed at improving a person's mental or physicalcondition

I was able to go back to worka few weeks after starting thetherapy .

transplantnoun

moving of an organ from onehuman to another

The heart transplant savedyour life.

ultrasoundnoun

a test that e"amines the body'sinternal organs and processesusing sound waves (often usedduring pregnancies

The ultrasound shows thatwe are e"pecting a baby boy.

umbilical cordnoun

the lifeline from the mother tothe fetus (when cut at birth this

forms the belly button

I had an emergency 2 section because the umbilical cord

was wrapped around the baby's neck.


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unconsciousadj

alive but appearing to be asleepand unaware of the surroundings

I hit my head on the steeringwheel and was stillunconscious when theambulance arrived.

urine samplenoun

a small amount of the body'sliquid waste that is tested fordifferent medical reasons

The urine sample tells ushow much alcohol is in your

blood.

"einnoun

the thin tubes that transport blood around the body and backto the heart

I'm &ust looking for the best"ein in which to insert theneedle.

"irusnoun

a dangerous organism thatcauses the spread of minor andma&or diseases

The "irus is contractablethrough the e"change of

bodily fluids.

"isiting hoursnoun

time of day when friends andfamily are allowed to visit

patients in hospital

I'm afraid you'll have to come back during "isiting hours .

"omitnoun/verb

discharge of a person stomachcontents through the mouth

The pregnant woman can'tstop "omiting .

$ardnoun

a section of a hospital or healthfacility where patients stay

I should warn you that we'reentering the mental health$ard .

$heelchairnoun

a chair on wheels used fortransporting patients from placeto place

If you get in the $heelchair I'll take you down to see thegarden.

$ound noun$ounded adj

in&ury to body (9flesh wound9means not deep

The $ounded soldiers are being airlifted to the hospital.

x-raynoun/verb

a photograph of a person's bonesand organs

The technician took x-rays ofmy shoulder to make sure itwasn't broken.

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