Some simple Hospital vocabulary

[NormanH]

After recent stays in hospital, and a

number of pms from people here who have had contacts with health

professionals in France I thought it might ba a good idea to post a

basic list of vocabulary that I found useful, and invite everybody to

add their own, as we have diffent experiences

I am not trying to make a comprehensive

list of medical terms.

There are sites that so that better

than I could. (for example basic terms here )

My idea is do do what I did in English

for the physiotherapist in the nursing home I was in, that is to

observe the terms and phrases heard everyday which might not be

obvious, and translate them.

I have left out the most obvious things

like 'douche' which I imagine most people know

So in no particular order: (just a

start, please feel free to add)

Haricot ' areeco' (kidney bowl, for

being sick)

Bassine (plastic bowl)

Bassine du lit (bedpan)

pistolet (plastic urinal for men in

bed)

Pansement (dressing)

sparadrap 'sparadra' (sticking plaster)

plaie (wound)

les points 'pwan' (stitches)

le poing 'pwan or pwang' serrez le

poing  (fist, as in make a fist when having a blood test)

perfusion ( a drip, as in the arm)

une protection/absorbex (absorbent

tissue

potence 'the arm over the bed which you

can hold onto)

bocal (a sort of jar to collect fluids

or waste, often to be measured)

couche (a nappy )

Penilex ( a way of helping urinary

incontinence in men with something like a condom with a tube to drain

away the urine )

tension (blood pressure)

prise de sang (blood test)

globules rouges/blancs (white or red

blood cells)

le bloc (the operating theatre)

service (ward, as in service de

chirugie, a surgical ward)

surveillante (the ward supervisor-

Sister? )

la lame (a drain tube to let liquids out of the abdominal cavity)

une mèche ( a piece of gauze or dressing to hold open an infected wound and let it drain)

de garde (on duty, usually a Doctor

covering at weekends etc)

radio ( Xray)

IRM 'ee er em ' (a MRI scan)

sonde (a catheter)  although

catheter (pronounced catetere also exists as in.....

pac  ' porte à catheter' a semi

permanent catherter in the upper chest or neck for chemotherapy

poche ( a bag, for example part of a

stoma)

fauteuil (armchair/wheelchair)

compress (swab)

brancard /brancardier (stretcher, and

porter)

balance (scales as for weighing)

peser, as in' je vous pèse' (weigh)

added from suggestions below thanks

douleur (pain)

Ce pansement est trop serré  - This bandage is too

tight.

Douleur aigue  - Sharp pain

à jeun nil by

mouth

 avoir des démangeaisons

(itching) ça gratte 'sa grat' (it itches)

des boutons (spots)

calmant - a painkilling drug

une piqûre" = 

an injection  

but also (a sting as from

an insect)

"faire une piqure",

or "piquer" = to give an injection =.

"faire une prise de

sang" = to take blood.

Je pique (said by the

nurse as she puts the needle in)

"Ambulatoire" =

day patient. Usually for a procedure where you are in and out the

same day.

"aller à la

selle" =  to go to the toilet (number

2)

les selles (stools)

des cachets (tablets)

ma traitement (usual medicines)

echographie (ultrasound)

Une escarre or plaie de lit (bedsore)

[sueyh]

Thank you Norman.  What a good idea.  Especially for me going in next week.

Suey

[Chancer]

Ajeune, not sure of spelling, might even be à jeun, - nil by mouth, i.e. blood test the next day, dont eat for 12 hours before.

 

[mint]

All the best for next week, suey [:)]

[NormanH]

[quote user="Chancer"]

Ajeune, not sure of spelling, might even be à jeun, - nil by mouth, i.e. blood test the next day, dont eat for 12 hours before.

 

[/quote]

à jeun I think

Sometimes you can drink water  but not eat or drink sugary things

Thanks

[woolybanana]

Ce pansement est trop serré  - This bandage is too tight.

Douleur aigu  - Sharp pain

(Norman, please complete the above sets!)

[Kitty]

What a good idea, Norman.  I have copied the words onto a Word document and printed it out for my hospital file.  Brilliant.

What about adding ecographie (scan)?  Thinking about my various stays and what I found confusing, other possibilities could be a rash, bedsores, injection and pill.

[woolybanana]

A few useful bits here if you like:

http://www.smartphrase.com/French/fr_medical_phr.shtml#TellDoctor

[sueyh]

Thank you Sweets. Only going in for laporoscopic removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes. So should be out after three days (I hope).

Best wishes

suey

[mint]

[quote user="sueyh"]Thank you Sweets. Only going in for laporoscopic removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes. So should be out after three days (I hope). Best wishes suey[/quote]

I love the "only", suey, that's the spirit! (no emoticon for Big Cheer, but you get the idea)[:D]

[audio]

Stomach upset: embarras gastrique

Tear (muscle): déchirure

Sharp pain : élancement

Rash: éruption

A bit constipated: un peu échauffé (no wonder I have had odd looks when using this phrase for engines overheating).

 

Good luck Sueyh

[Chancer]

And thank you too Norman, until now I have been spelling pansement as pensement [8-)]

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Chancer"]And thank you too Norman, until now I have been spelling pansement as pensement [8-)][/quote]

Also means a temporary filling at the dentist.

[Cendrillon]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

[quote user="sueyh"]Thank you Sweets. Only going in for laporoscopic removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes. So should be out after three days (I hope). Best wishes suey[/quote]

I love the "only", suey, that's the spirit! (no emoticon for Big Cheer, but you get the idea)[:D]

[/quote]

You beat me to it Sweets.

Only is a great way to think and I am  sure with such a positive attitude you will soon recover. Good luck and do take care of yourself.

[sueyh]

Thank you both.  I am being inspired by all the brave ladies on the National Hereditary Breast Cancer website who are having far worse things done.  Ops that I am having to consider.  This wee op is just the start to get rid of my risk of ovarian cancer and it will lower my chances of getting breast cancer.

Suey

[Chrissie]

chirurgie endoscopique - keyhole sugery

calmant - a painkilling drug

Chrissie (81)

 

 

[sueyh]

Oh yes Chrissie, they are two that I will definitely need. Hopefully less of the second....

Suey.

[5-element]

" une piqûre" =  an injection  

"faire une piqure", or "piquer" = to give an injection =.

"faire une prise de sang" = to take blood.

"Ambulatoire" = day patient. Usually for a procedure where you are in and out the same day.

"aller à la selle" =  to go to the toilet (number 2)

 

Brilliant idea Norman, this thread.

[NormanH]

I have put in your suggestions (I think) onto the first page.

I will now try to organise it more logically.

I hope copperlola gets back online soon well enough to add her suggestions

[Pads]

Here are a few books that might also be useful ....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hadleys-French-Medical-Phrase-Book/dp/187273913X/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I30KF86P7Q16P0&colid=2VK7ORGZ3S8YS

[NormanH]

Thanks everybody.

I am leaving it a couple of days for coops to get better and posting now she is home, and once she has had a chance to add any ideas from her recent stay I will organise this a bit better and post a final page with everything pulled together

[Anton Redman]

Hope everything goes well. Always found that the three sylable rule works for medicine in France. Do best Charles Aznovour / Maurice Chavalier accent and see what turns up.

[Rose]

[quote user="5-element"]

"aller à la selle" =  to go to the toilet (number 2)

 Brilliant idea Norman, this thread.

[/quote]

Yes and yes  5E!

I amused the nurses on the ward with the following ... (of course the conversation was in french)...

Nurses 1 : Have you opened your bowels today?

Me :  Oh no thank you, my husband will be here soon

Nurse 2: stiffled laughter

Nurse 1:  opened mouth but no words sprang to mind

Me:  mmm... I think I've mis-understood haven't I.

We started over and I understood and then I explained to them how I must now remember not to confuse Selle with Sel [8-)]

I heard them repeating the conversation all the way down the ward to every patient and nurse they came across [:$]

Norman - Hope all is going and does go well for you [kiss]

[Doodle]

Rose that made me laugh.......i think we brits must be very entertaining for the infirmieres/soignants and I wonder if they do it on purpose to brighten their day.

I was asked or so I thought:

"avez vous un pet?"

"oui, un chat son nom est dora, voici une photo de elle"

after all the oooohs and aaahs they explained sheepishly that it was french for f*** - I laughed and told them they were taking the p*** - mais pas du tout!

Chris

[NormanH]

Welcome back Cooperlola.