Patients come in all different shapes and sizes. They also speak many different languages.

Whether you are working abroad or at home, there will come a time when you will need to
rely on English to communicate. These pages can help nurses, doctors, pharmacists,
paramedics, receptionists, specialists or even those who volunteer. They will help you learn
some basic English expressions and vocabulary related to the medical field. By studying and
practising Medical English, you will be able to make your patients feel more comfortable, and
have a better understanding of their needs. You will also learn how to talk to their loved ones
and communicate with other medical staff who speak

Here is some essential vocabulary for nurses and medical professionals working in an
English-speaking context. Each word is shown with its part of speech and meaning, while an
example sentence shows the word in context.

word meaning example sentence

part of speech

abnormal not normal for the human This amount of weight loss
adj body is abnormal for women your age.

ache pain that won't go away I can't sleep because my

noun/verb knees ache in the night.

acute quick to become severe/bad We knew the baby was coming right
adj away because the woman's labour
pains were acute.

allergy noun a body's abnormal reaction Your son is extremely allergic to

allergic adj to certain foods or peanuts.
environmental substances
(eg causes a rash)

ambulance emergency vehicle that We called the ambulance when

noun rushes people to a hospital Josh stopped breathing.

amnesia a condition that causes I can't remember the accident

noun people to lose their because I had amnesia.
memory

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amputation noun permanent removal of a We had to amputate his leg
amputate verb limb because the infection spread so
quickly.

anaemia noun occurs when the body I have low energy because I
anaemic adj doesn't have enough red am anaemic.
blood cells

antibiotics medication that kills My throat infection went away after

noun bacteria and cures I started the antibiotics.
infections

anti-depressant medication that helps The anti-depressants helped me get

noun relieve anxiety and sadness on with life after Lucy died.

appointment a scheduled meeting with a I've made you an appointment with

noun medical professional a specialist in three week's time.

arthritis a disease that causes the My grandmother can't knit anymore

noun joints to become swollen because the arthritis in her hands is
and crippled so bad.

asthma (attack) a condition that causes a I carry an inhaler when I run

noun blockage of the airway and because I have asthma.
makes it difficult for a
person to breathe

bacteria a disease-causing organism To prevent the spread of bacteria it

noun is important that nurses wash their
hands often.

bedsore wounds that develop on a If you don't get up and take a walk,
noun patient's body from lying in you will develop painful bedsores.
one place for too long

benign not harmful (not cancerous) We're hoping that the tests will
adj show that the lump in your breast

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 is benign.

biopsy removal of human tissue in The biopsy ruled out a number of

noun order to conduct certain illnesses.
medical tests

blood count the amount of red and You will be happy to know that
noun white blood cells a person your blood count is almost back to
has normal.

blood donor a person who gives blood Blood donors have to answer
noun to a blood bank or other questions about their medical
person history.

blood pressure the rate at which blood High blood pressure puts you at
noun flows through the body risk of having a heart attack.
(high/low)

brace a device that holds injured You will probably always have to
noun body parts in place wear a brace on your ankle when
you jog.

breech position of an unborn baby We thought it was going to be

adj in which the feet are down a breech birth, but the baby turned
and the head is up himself around.

broken a bone that is divided in We thought it was just a sprain, but

adj two or more pieces as a it turned out his leg was broken.
result of an injury

bruise noun injured body tissue that is The woman was

bruised adj visible underneath the skin badly bruised when she came into
the emergency room.

Caesarean section, procedure that involves The baby was so large that we had
C-section removing a baby from its to perform a Caesarean section.
noun mother through an incision
in the woman's lower

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 abdomen

cancer disease caused by the There are many different options

noun uncontrollable growth of when it comes to treating cancer.
cells

cardiopulmonary restoring a person's breath You saved your brother's life by

resuscitation (CPR) and circulation performing CPR.
noun

cast a hard bandage that is My leg was in a cast for graduation.

noun wrapped around a broken
bone to keep it in place

chapel, chapeline a place where loved ones If you want a place to pray,
noun can go to pray for a the chapel is on the third floor.
patient's recovery;
a priest who visits patients
in the hospital

chemotherapy type of treatment used on My mother has already had three

noun cancer patients rounds of chemotherapy.

chickenpox a virus commonly It is best to get chickenpox as a

noun contracted by children, child so that you don't get it worse
characterized by itchy spots as an adult.
all over the body

coroner a person who determines We only call the coroner if we

noun the cause of death after a think a death is suspicious.
person dies

critical condition requiring immediate and You can't see her right now; she's
noun constant medical attention in critical condition.

crutches objects that people with I'd rather hop on one foot than
noun injured legs or feet use to use crutches.

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 help them walk

cyst a sac in the body-tissue We're going to remove the cysts just
noun filled with fluid (sometimes to be on the safe side.
diseased)

deaf unable to hear The accident left the patient

adj both deaf and blind.

deficiency a lack of something The tests show that you have an

noun necessary for one's health iron deficiency.

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

adj become dehydrated in this heat.

dementia loss of mental capacity It is hard to watch a loved one

noun suffering with dementia.

diabetes type of disease typically People with diabetes have to

noun involving insulin constantly check their blood sugar
deficiency levels.

diagnosis medical explanation of an The doctor would prefer to share

noun illness or condition the diagnosis with the patient
himself.

discomfort experiencing pain This pain medication should relieve

noun some of your discomfort.

disease a medical disorder that is I understand that this disease runs in

noun harmful to a person's health your family.

dislocated when a bone is temporarily You will have to wear a sling

adj separated from its joint because of
your dislocated shoulder.

emergency a medical problem that It is important that children know

noun needs immediate attention which number to dial in case of

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 an emergency.

ER (emergency the hospital room used for The child was rushed into
room) treating patients with the ER after he had a severe allergic
noun immediate and life- reaction to a bee sting.
threatening injuries

external on the outside This cream is for external use only.

adj Do not get it near your ears, eyes, or
mouth.

false negative a test that incorrectly We had two false

noun comes back negative negative pregnancy tests, so we
adj didn't know we were having a baby.

family history medical background of a The doctor was concerned about

noun person's family members my family history of skin cancer.

fatal causing death The doctor made a fatal error when

adj he wrote the wrong prescription.

fever noun higher than normal body He is very feverish, and his
feverish adj temperature temperature is near danger point.

flu (influenza) many types of respiratory People who have the flu should not
noun or intestinal infections visit hospital patients.
passed on through a virus

fracture noun broken or cracked bone Your wrist is fractured and needs a
fractured adj cast.

germ a micro-organism, Flowers are not allowed in the ward

noun especially one that causes to avoid the risk of germs being
disease brought in.

genetic a medical condition or The disease is part genetic and part

adj physical feature that is environmental.

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 passed on in the family

growth a ball of tissue that grows That growth on your shoulder is

noun bigger than normal, either starting to worry me.
on or under the skin

heart attack instance in which blood People who smoke are at greater
noun stops pumping through the risk of having a heart attack.
heart

HIV the virus that infects the HIV can be passed down from the
noun human T-cells and leads to mother to her fetus.
AIDS

hives bumps that appear on the I broke out in hives after I ate that
noun surface of the skin during potato casserole.
an allergic reaction

illness noun general term for any Her illness went away when she
ill adj condition that makes a started eating better.
person feel sick for a
certain period of time

immune system the parts of the body that You can't have visitors because
noun fight diseases, infections, your immune system is low.
and viruses

immunization noun an injection that protects Babies are immunized three times
immunize verb against a specific disease in their first year.

incision cut in the body made I had to have stitches to close

noun during surgery the incision.

inconclusive unclear We have to do more x-rays because

adj the first ones were inconclusive.

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infant young baby The nurse will demonstrate how to
noun bathe an infant.

infection noun diseased area of the body The wound should be covered when
infected adj (viral or bacterial) you swim to prevent it from
becoming infected.

inflamed appearance (red and My right ankle was so inflamed it

adj swollen) of an injured body was twice the size of my left one.
part

injury damage to the body Her injuries were minor; just a few
noun cuts and bruises.

intensive care unit section of the hospital She will remain in the ICU until she
(ICU) where patients get constant can breathe on her own.
noun attention and doctors rely
on specialized equipment

internal under the skin, inside the The doctors will be monitoring her
adj organs for any internal bleeding.

itchy feeling discomfort on the If you are allergic to this medication

adj skin's surface your skin will get red and itchy.

IV a tube that pumps liquids The toddler was so dehydrated that

noun and medication into a the doctor decided to get him on
patient's body an IV.

lab results tests that come back from a The lab results have come in and
noun laboratory and help doctors you are free to go home.
make a diagnosis

lab (laboratory) place where samples of I'll take these samples down to
noun blood/urine etc. are taken for the lab on my way out.
testing

life support a machine that keeps patients The woman has severe brain damage

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noun alive by helping them breathe and is currently on life support.

life-threatening when injuries and conditions The victim was shot in two places
adj are extremely serious but the bullet wounds are not life-
threatening.

light-headed feeling of dizziness and being If you are feeling light-

adj off-balance, caused by lack of headed again, lie down and call me.
oxygen in the brain

malignant expected to grow and get I'm afraid at least one of the tumours
adj much worse (especially is malignant.
related to cancerous cells)

medical school place where someone trains After eight years of medical
(med. school) to be a doctor school I can finally practice
noun medicine.

newborn an infant that is less than You have to support her neck
noun three months old because she is still a newborn.

numb no feeling in a certain body The needle will make your lower
adj part body feel numb.

OR (operating the place where major You must wear a face mask and
room) surgeries and operations take gloves while you are in the OR.
noun place

operation noun a medical procedure that The operation lasted seven hours,
operate on verb involves going inside a but it was successful.
person's body in an attempt to
fix a problem

pain strong discomfort in certain We gave your husband some

noun areas of the body medicine to relieve some of
the pain.

pain killer, pain type of medicine that takes You can take two pain killers every

9
reliever away some or all of the four hours.
noun discomfort of an illness or
injury

paralyzed unable to move certain areas We thought her legs

adj of the body were paralyzed for life, but she is
learning how to walk.

patient a person staying in a hospital The patients in Room 4 are not

noun or medical facility getting along.

pharmacist a person who fills a doctor's Ask the pharmacist if there is a

noun prescription and gives people generic brand of this medication.
advice about medication

pharmacy, a place where people go to You should be able to buy a bandage

drugstore buy medication and other at the pharmacy.
noun medical supplies

physician doctor Ask your family physician to refer

noun you to a specialist.

poison noun a substance that is very The child was bitten by

poisonous adj dangerous if it enters the a poisonous snake.
human body

prenatal of the time period leading up The woman was well prepared for
adj to giving birth labour because she took
the prenatal classes.

prescription noun the correct amount and type You will need to visit your doctor to
prescribe verb of medication needed to cure get another prescription.
an illness or relieve
symptoms

privacy noun being alone; personal (eg test You will have to pay for
private adj results) a private hospital room if you don't

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 want a room-mate.

radiation high energy X-rays that If the radiation doesn't kill all of the
noun destroy cancer cells abnormal cells, the cancer will come
back.

residency part of a doctor's training that John is a resident under Dr Brown.

resident takes place in the hospital;
noun a student working under a
doctor

routine check-up a doctor's appointment to I'd like to see you a year from now
noun check a person's general for a routine check-up.
health

scrubs plain uniform (usually green, I have some extra scrubs in my

noun white, or blue) worn by locker.
medical professionals

scrub up carefully wash hands before I have to scrub up and get ready for
verb and after seeing a patient surgery.

second opinion input from a second doctor I went to another doctor to get
noun about an illness or symptom a second opinion about these
headaches.

seizure sudden violent movements or People who suffer from epilepsy are
noun unconsciousness caused by prone to seizures.
electrical signal malfunction
in the brain

shock body not getting enough The woman was in shock after being
noun blood flow pulled from the river.

side effects other symptoms that might One of the side effects of
noun occur as a result of a certain antidepressants is a loss of appetite.
medication or procedure

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sore painful I have a sore throat and a runny
adj nose.

spasm the uncontrollable tightening Ever since I injured my leg I've been
noun of a muscle having muscle spasms in my upper
thigh.

specialist a doctor that is an expert in a My family doctor is sending me to

noun certain kind of medicine a specialist.

sprain an injury (less serious than a I sprained my knee playing soccer.

noun/verb break) to a joint (ankle, wrist,
knee etc)

stable condition a patient is stable if their You can see your husband now; he
noun medical condition is no is in a stable condition.
longer changing rapidly

sting sharp, temporary pain It may sting when I insert the

noun/verb needle.

stress noun worry that causes muscles to You need to take some time off
stressed adj tighten and blood pressure to work and relieve some of
rise your stress.

swelling noun ligaments (parts that hold the I knew my ankle was sprained
swollen adj joints together) growing because it was so swollen.
bigger and rounder after an
injury to a joint

symptoms pain or physical changes that You have all of the symptoms of a
noun occur because of an illness or diabetic.
disease

temperature amount of heat measured in a We brought Jesse to emergency

noun body; higher than normal because he was running a
temperature (high) temperature.

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tender painful when touched or used The incision was tender after the
adj surgery.

test results medical information that The test results came back negative.
noun helps doctors understand a You aren't pregnant.
patient's condition or body

therapy treatment aimed at improving I was able to go back to work a few

noun a person's mental or physical weeks after starting the therapy.
condition

transplant moving of an organ from one The heart transplant saved your
noun human to another life.

ultrasound a test that examines the The ultrasound shows that we are
noun body's internal organs and expecting a baby boy.
processes using sound waves
(often used during
pregnancies)

umbilical cord the lifeline from the mother I had an emergency C-section
noun to the fetus (when cut at birth because the umbilical cord was
this forms the belly button) wrapped around the baby's neck.

unconscious alive, but appearing to be I hit my head on the steering wheel

adj asleep and unaware of the and was still unconscious when the
surroundings ambulance arrived.

urine sample a small amount of the body's The urine sample tells us how much
noun liquid waste that is tested for alcohol is in your blood.
different medical reasons

vein the thin tubes that transport I'm just looking for the best vein in
noun blood around the body and which to insert the needle.
back to the heart

virus a dangerous organism that The virus is contractable through the

noun causes the spread of minor

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 and major diseases exchange of bodily fluids.

visiting hours time of day when friends and I'm afraid you'll have to come back
noun family are allowed to visit during visiting hours.
patients in hospital

vomit discharge of a person The pregnant woman can't

noun/verb stomach contents through the stop vomiting.
mouth

ward a section of a hospital or I should warn you that we're

noun health facility where patients entering the mental health ward.
stay

wheelchair a chair on wheels used for If you get in the wheelchair I'll take
noun transporting patients from you down to see the garden.
place to place

wound noun injury to body ("flesh wound" The wounded soldiers are being
wounded adj means not deep) airlifted to the hospital.

x-ray a photograph of a person's The technician took x-rays of my

noun/verb bones and organs shoulder to make sure it wasn't
broken.

Exercise

1. You shouldn't drive because this medicine might make you feel

A. life-threatened
B. light-headed
C. malignant

2. The children's _______ is located on the fourth floor of the hospital.

A. Vein
B. transplant
C. ward

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3. Discontinue using this cream immediately if it makes you feel

A. itchy
B. allergy
C. sprain

4. Your blood count is abnormal, so you may have

A. amnesia
B. anaemia
C. dementia

5. The doctor wrote me a _______ for a new type of pain reliever.

A. prescription
B. patient
C. radiation

6. _______ from this medication include nausea and depression.

A. Side effects
B. Stresses
C. Spasms

7. The _______ suggests that your wife is seventeen weeks pregnant.

A. sore
B. therapy
C. ultrasound

8. The patient has asked for some _______ while her family is visiting.

A. poison
B. privacy
C. scrub up

9. The physician will be monitoring your _______ to make sure it isn't cancerous.

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 A. pharmacist
B. laboratory
C. growth

10. You couldn't have inherited the disease because it is not

A. feverish
B. allergic
C. genetic

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