SCHOOL SAFETY PARTNERS

SCHOOL CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS FOR INTERPRETERS

Multi-Cultural Crisis Response:

Key Medical Phrases
DRAFT – MARCH 25, 2009

Part 1: Introduction
1. Do you understand this language?
2. We are here to help you.
3. I do not understand your language.
4. There is no one available who speaks this language.
5. Try to answer my questions with "yes" or "no."
6. Move your head like this for "yes."
7. Move your head like this for "no."
8. Do you know where you are?
9. We are in contact with someone from your school.
10. We will try to contact someone from your family.
11. We cannot give you anything to eat or drink.
12. If you need surgery, your stomach must be empty.
13. We will give you food and drink as soon as it is safe to do so.
14. Are you thirsty?
15. Are you hungry?
16. Do you need to urinate?
17. Do you need to defecate?
18. I understand.
19. I do not understand.
20. Please.
21. Thank you.
22. You are welcome.
23. Thank you for talking with me.
24. I will talk with you again.
25. Good-bye.

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Part 2: Guidance
1. Be quiet.
2. Come with me.
3. Describe it with gestures.
4. Do not get excited.
5. Do what I ask.
6. Do you mean "no?"
7. Do you mean "yes?"
8. Hold up the number of fingers.
9. I will get an interpreter.
10. Is this it?
11. No.
12. Point to it.
13. Relax.
14. Show me.
15. Squeeze my hand once for "yes."
16. Squeeze my hand twice for "no."
17. Write your answer here.
18. Yes.

Part 3: Registration
1. What is your given name?
2. What is your family name?
3. What is your nationality?
4. What country were you born in?
5. What is the name of your school?
6. What is the name of your teacher?
7. Do you have any brothers or sisters at school?
8. Where are your parents?
9. What are your parents’ names?
10. Do you have phone numbers for any of your family members?
11. How old are you?
12. Do you have an identity card?
13. Show me your identification.
14. Do you have any bad reactions to medications?
15. What is the name of the medication that causes bad reactions?
16. Do you have any allergies to medicines?
17. What is your religion?
18. Do you smoke tobacco?
19. How many packs per day do you smoke?
20. Are you married?
21. Do you have any children?

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Part 4: Assessment
1. You have been injured.
2. You are ill.
3. Lie still.
4. We will take care of you.
5. Let us help you.
6. We must examine you carefully.
7. We will try to not hurt you further.
8. Do exactly what we ask.
9. Keep your head very still.
10. Keep very still.
11. This will help protect you.
12. Can you breathe?
13. Say your name out loud.
14. Do you hurt anywhere?
15. Show me where.
16. Show me where it hurts worst?
17. Does this hurt?
18. Move all off your fingers.
19. Move all of your toes.
20. Open your eyes.
21. Push against me.
22. You will feel better soon.
23. You must stay here.

Part 5: Surgical Consent

1. You are badly hurt.
2. You are very sick.
3. We need to take you to surgery.
4. We need to remove this.
5. We need to repair this.
6. If we do not operate, you may die.
7. If we do not operate, you may lose this.
8. The operation is dangerous, but it is the only way to help you.
9. Do you understand that you need this surgery?
10. We will operate very carefully.
11. We want your permission before we operate on you.
12. May we operate on you?
13. We will begin the operation as soon as we can.
14. This medicine will make you sleep.

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Part 6: Trauma
1. You have been hurt.
2. We are all working to help you.
3. Help us take care of you.
4. We have to remove your clothes.
5. Do you have any bad reactions to any medicine?
6. Have you eaten food in the past six hours?
7. Is this injury from an explosion?
8. Were you shot?
9. Is this from a knife?
10. Is this from a rock?
11. Is this from a vehicle crash?
12. Did a person do this to you?
13. Did you lose consciousness after this happened?
14. Did you lose more than this much blood?
15. Point to all the parts of your body that hurt.
16. Does it hurt when I do this?
17. Move this like this.
18. Turn over this way.
19. Did you inhale any smoke or very hot air?
20. Do your lungs hurt?
21. Are you having trouble breathing?
22. This will help avoid infection.

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Part 7: Procedures
1. This will help you.
2. I have to put a small needle in you here.
3. We need to give you fluid.
4. We need to give you blood.
5. I need to put a tube into your throat.
6. This tube will help you breathe better.
7. This tube may feel uncomfortable.
8. I need to put a tube through your nose to your stomach.
9. You need to swallow while I put this tube in your nose.
10. Drink this while I gently place the tube into your nose.
11. This tube will drain your stomach.
12. I have to put a small tube into your neck to give you fluid.
13. I need to put a tube in your chest.
14. This needle will release the air from your chest.
15. This will help your burns.
16. I need to cut your skin.
17. We have to restrain you for your safety.
18. You have been burned by a chemical.
19. We need to wash the chemicals from your skin.
20. You will need to be completely washed.

Part 8: Foley
1. Have you urinated today?
2. Does you bladder feel full?
3. Do you have problems starting to urinate?
4. Do you have an urge to urinate but are unable to pass urine?
5. Do you have any pain with urination?
6. Urinate into this container.
7. You need a tube in your bladder.
8. I am going to insert a tube into your bladder to drain urine.
9. This tube will empty the urine from your bladder.
10. This tube will feel uncomfortable in you.
11. Do not touch this tube.

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Part 9: Surgery Instructions

1. Do not eat or drink until the surgery.
2. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight tonight.
3. Take this medicine.
4. You must remain in bed.
5. Do not move at all.
6. You must stay in this room.
7. You must not smoke.
8. We have to cut your hair off here.
9. You may get up to go to the toilet.

Part 10: Pain Interview

1. Are you in pain?
2. Where is your pain?
3. Is the pain here?
4. Does anything make the pain better?
5. Does anything make the pain worse?
6. Did the pain start today?
7. How many days have you had the pain?
8. Describe the pain on a scale from 1 to 10.
9. 10 is the worst possible pain, and 1 is no pain at all.
10. Hold up the number of fingers.

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Part 11: Medicine Interview

1. Do you feel sick?
2. Did you begin to feel sick today?
3. How many days have you felt sick?
4. Is the sickness here?
5. Do you feel nauseated?
6. Did the nausea start today?
7. How many days have you had the nausea?
8. Have you been vomiting?
9. Is there any blood in your vomit?
10. Is there any black color in your vomit?
11. Have you had any diarrhea?
12. How many times have you had diarrhea today?
13. Would your diarrhea today fill this?
14. Has there been any blood in your stool?
15. Are you bleeding from your rectum?
16. Have your stools been black?
17. Do you have worms?
18. Do you have malaria?
19. Do you have tuberculosis?
20. Do you know what I mean by the term HIV?
21. Do you know what I mean by the term AIDS?
22. Are you infected with the HIV virus?
23. Do you have AIDS?
24. You need a blood test for the HIV virus.

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Part 12: Orthopedic

1. Do you have pain in this joint I'm touching?
2. Do you have pain in any other joint?
3. Which joint hurts the most?
4. Do you have pain in this muscle I'm touching?
5. Do you have pain in any other muscle?
6. Where is the muscle pain?
7. Is this muscle cramping?
8. Have you ever had any broken bones?
9. What bones have you broken?
10. Does it hurt when I do this?
11. Do this.
12. You need an X-ray of your bone.
13. I will examine the X-ray and tell you what I see.
14. The bone here is broken.
15. The bone here is not broken.
16. You need a cast to help the bone heal.
17. Do not remove the cast.
18. Do not get the cast wet.
19. You need a splint to help the injury heal.
20. You may take the splint off to clean yourself.
21. The splint must be replaced after you have cleaned yourself.
22. You need a metal plate and screws to help the healing of your bone.
23. We need to take you to the Operating Room to put you back together.

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Part 13: Obstetrics and Gynecology

1. Do you have an Intra-Uterine Device (birth control device)?
2. Have you had missed periods of menstruation recently?
3. Do you use pills for birth control?
4. Are you pregnant?
5. How many months have you been pregnant?
6. How many babies do you have?
7. Have you been raped?
8. We need to examine you carefully.
9. We will protect your privacy as much as we can.
10. Does this hurt?
11. Do not push yet.
12. Push now.
13. Push now as hard as you can.
14. The baby is here.
15. It is a boy.
16. It is a girl.
17. The baby looks healthy.
18. We will take good care of the baby.

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Part 14: Pediatrics

1. Your child is sick.
2. Your child is hurt.
3. We need to care for your child.
4. You need to let us keep your child here.
5. You may stay with your child.
6. Let us examine your child in private.
7. Your child will get better soon.
8. This medicine will help your child.
9. Did your child eat today?
10. Did your child eat yesterday?
11. Has your child passed urine today?
12. Has your child passed any stool today?
13. Did your child pass any stool yesterday?
14. Has your child had any diarrhea?
15. Has your child been vomiting?
16. Your child looks healthy.
17. Your child will be fine.
18. You child will be ill for a long time.
19. This illness will pass slowly, but your child's health will return completely.
20. Feed the child small portions every few hours.
21. Help your child drink this every few hours.
22. Feed this medicine to your child every four hours.
23. Allow your child to sleep.
24. You need to sleep as much as the child does.
25. Bring your child back here tomorrow.
26. Bring your child back if there is no improvement by tomorrow.
27. We will continue to follow the health of your child with you.

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Part 15: Cardiology

1. Do you have any chest pain or tightness?
2. Are you having trouble trying to breathe?
3. Do you have chest pain over your entire chest?
4. Do you have pain from your chest into your arm?
5. Have you had this type of chest pain before?
6. Do you feel light-headed with the chest pain?
7. Do you sweat with the chest pain?
8. This heart pill may give you a headache.
9. This will go under your tongue.
10. Chew this and swallow it.
11. Let us take care of you.

Part 16: Ophthalmology

1. Open your eyes.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Do you have any pain in your eyes?
4. Do you wear corrective glasses?
5. Do you wear contact lenses?
6. Is your vision clear in both eyes?
7. Which eye has a new problem?
8. Do you see my fingers?
9. Are they clear?
10. How many fingers do you see right now?
11. I am going to be looking into your eyes with this.
12. Keep your head still.
13. Look straight ahead and focus on an object.
14. While I am looking into your eyes, continue to focus on that object.
15. I am going to put some drops into your eye.
16. I am going to blow a puff of air into your eye.
17. Hold very still while I remove the foreign object in your eye.

Part 17: Neurology

1. Does this feel normal?
2. Do this.
3. Move your toes.
4. Do you have numbness or tingling?
5. Did the numbness or tingling start today?
6. How many days have you had the numbness or tingling?
7. Do you feel weak?
8. Did the weakness start today?
9. How many days have you had the weakness?

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Part 18: Exam Commands

1. Bend your arm.
2. Bend your leg.
3. Breathe normally.
4. Close your eyes.
5. Close your hand.
6. Close your mouth.
7. Cough.
8. Cough some phlegm into this cup.
9. Hold this under your tongue.
10. Hold your breath.
11. Lie down.
12. Lie flat.
13. Lie on your abdomen.
14. Lie on your back.
15. Look at my finger as it moves.
16. Look down.
17. Look straight.
18. Look up.
19. Open.
20. Open your eyes.
21. Open your hand.
22. Open your mouth.
23. Push here.
24. Sit down.
25. Sit up.
26. Squeeze here.
27. Stand on the scale.
28. Stand up.
29. Take a deep breath in and out.
30. Touch my finger with this finger.
31. Touch your finger to your nose like this.
32. Turn around.
33. Turn onto this side.
34. Walk like this.
35. Walk towards me.
36. You need an X-ray of your chest.

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Part 19: Caregiver

1. Can I do anything to help you?
2. Come with me.
3. I will try not to hurt you.
4. I am going to lift you.
5. I am going to put a needle in your arm to give you medication.
6. I am sorry I hurt you but I must adjust the tube in your chest.
7. I must change your dressings.
8. I must cut your hair.
9. I must give you a shave.
10. I must give you a suppository into your rectum.
11. I must give you an injection with a needle.
12. I must make your bed.
13. I must wash your hair.
14. I will help you dress.
15. I will help you undress.
16. Put the gown on.
17. Put your arms around my shoulders.
18. This medicine will take the pain away.
19. This will help you feel better.
20. Would you like more?

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Part 20: Post-Op and Prognosis

1. Everything will be done to get you fixed up again.
2. You are only slightly wounded.
3. You will soon be up again.
4. Your condition is serious, but you will get better.
5. You will get better if you let us take care of you.
6. You are seriously hurt.
7. You are seriously ill.
8. It will probably take a long time for you to get better.
9. The surgery was successful.
10. We were able to fix you.
11. We had to remove this.
12. We tried, but we could not save this.
13. You were hurt very badly.
14. You will be fine.
15. You will need time to heal.
16. We will arrange for your transport back to your home.
17. We will send you to another place.
18. You need more care.
19. You will return to your home when you are better.
20. I will be back soon.
21. I will check back later to see how you are doing.
22. Return tomorrow so we can be sure you get better.
23. Return in one week so we can be sure you get better.

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Part 21: Medical Conditions

1. Do you have any of the following problems?
2. Abdominal pain
3. Abscess anywhere
4. Back pain
5. Bleeding from anywhere
6. Bloody Sputum
7. Bloody Stools
8. Boils
9. Chest pain
10. Chills
11. Confusion inside your head
12. Cough
13. Cramps
14. Dark urine
15. Diarrhea
16. Ear pain
17. Fever
18. Headache
19. Hemorrhoids
20. Infection anywhere
21. Insect bite that is serious
22. Itching
23. Joint pain
24. Loss of consciousness
25. Menstrual cramps
26. Muscle pains
27. Nausea
28. Rash
29. Throat pain
30. Tooth pain
31. Yellow eyes
32. Vaginal bleeding
33. Voices inside your head
34. Vomiting
35. Warts
36. Worms inside you

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Part 22: Diseases

1. Do you have any of the following diseases?
2. AIDS
3. Anemia
4. Arthritis
5. Asthma
6. Bronchitis
7. Cancer
8. Chickenpox
9. Cholera
10. Common cold
11. Cough that doesn't stop
12. Depression
13. Diabetes
14. Diphtheria
15. Disease of the blood
16. Eczema
17. Fungus
18. Gonorrhea
19. Heart failure
20. Heart murmur
21. Heart pain
22. Hepatitis
23. Herpes
24. Infection anywhere
25. Influenza
26. Insect bite that is serious
27. Yellow skin
28. Malaria
29. Measles
30. Mental disease
31. Mumps
32. Nervous breakdown
33. Paratyphoid fever
34. Peritonsillar abscess
35. Plague
36. Pleuritis
37. Pneumonia
38. Polio
39. Rabies
40. Ringworm
41. Scabies
42. Scarlet fever
43. Scurvy
44. Sexually transmitted disease (STD)

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45. Skin disease

46. Smallpox
47. Syphilis
48. Tapeworm infection
49. Tetanus
50. Tonsillitis
51. Trench mouth
52. Trichinosis
53. Tuberculosis
54. Typhoid fever
55. Warts
56. Worms
57. Yellow fever

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Part 23: Medical Facilities

1. We will send you to the Medical Clinic.
2. The staff at the Clinic will help you.
3. Follow the symbols that look like this to the Medical Clinic.
4. This is medicine to help you.
5. This will stop the diarrhea.
6. This will reduce the pain.
7. This will help your cough.
8. This will help you feel better.
9. We will watch to make sure you get better.
10. Come back tomorrow.
11. Come back in three days.
12. Come back next week.

Part 24: Numbers

 1  20  41
 2  21  42
 3  22  43
 4  23  44
 5  24  45
 6  25  46
 7  26  47
 8  27  48
 9  28  49
 0  29  50
 Point  30  60
 10  31  70
 11  32  80
 12  33  90
 13  34  Hundred
 14  35  Thousand
 15  36  Ten thousand
 16  37  Hundred Thousand
 17  38  Million
 18  39
 19  40

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About School Safety Partners  
This document is presented by School Safety Partners as part of a free online course on school safety. School 
Safety Partners (www.SchoolSafetyPartners.org) is dedicated to creating long‐term funding partnerships to 
support school safety best practices. We are a facilitator of joint research projects, reaching out to the general 
public as well as stakeholders in the public, private, non‐profit, and academic sectors. Since our start in January, 
2008, our projects have addressed the legislative, training, compliance, funding, and public awareness sides of 
school safety. Here are some highlights: 

1. We created a reference library documenting all aspects of Colorado Senate Bill 08‐181, a first‐of‐its‐kind 
measure introduced by Senator Tom Wiens to modernize emergency planning in schools, so students, 
teachers, and first responders can act fast in an emergency. 

2. For the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School tragedy, we produced the national media event, 
"Colorado Rising," focusing on the future of school safety in America, and our guests and speakers were 
covered by NBC‐TV, CNN, NPR, FOX, Oprah Radio, Channel One News, Associated Press, Reuters, the 
Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, German Public Radio, the Guardian, and dozens of 
other news sources.   

3. We assisted in the 2008 Symposium and the 2009 Symposium on the Prevention of School Violence at 
Johnson & Wales University, and in the tabletop exercises on interoperable communications conducted 
for these events by one of our partners, SchoolSAFE Communications (www.SchoolSAFEcom.org). 

4. We produced over 4 hours of video footage, with 2 video crews, covering a full‐scale active shooter and 
multi‐hazard school exercise that involved 18 agencies and over 1,200 persons, and tested interoperable 
communications in several school‐related settings. 

5. We co‐created the School Response Framework Fund in support of the National Incident Managment 
System (NIMS) and to help Colorado schools become NIMS‐compliant as quickly as possible. 

6. We also developed a virtual campus that schools can use as an online training site for their safety 
teams, and as an action center where schools can build strong relationships with community partners, 
or local responders. 

7. We have developed with ABC‐TV a nationwide community awareness campaign, giving recognition to 
educators as first responders, and calling for the creation of public‐private partnerships to make school 
safety sustainable in communities across America. 

8. We have also developed with the creators of the feature motion picture, "April Showers," the 
educational and school safety materials to accompany the film as it is released to the worldwide 
educational market.  

9. Other states have shown an interest in what we have done in Colorado about school crisis response, and 
for them we have designed webinars and information kits about improving school safety legislation and 
finding long‐term funding solutions. 

We hope that you find our information useful and our contacts productive. We invite you to explore all parts of 
our website, and also share with us your views, experiences, lessons learned, best practices, and innovations. 
Please visit us at www.SchoolSafetyPartners.org and register online in order to access all of our sections. 
Registration is free.