English for Medicine Dr.

Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

Antibiotics

Before you read discuss these questions with your partner.

Have you ever bought antibiotics from pharmacies?
What kind of antibiotic have you bought?
Why did you use that antibiotic?

An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria and is

the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections.
Antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of such
infections. They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. A limited number of
antibiotics also possess antiprotozoal activity. Antibiotics are not effective against
viruses such as the common cold or influenza; drugs which inhibit viruses are termed
antiviral drugs or antivirals rather than antibiotics.
Sometimes the term antibiotic (which means "opposing life", from New Latin
based on ancient Greek roots) is broadly used to refer to any substance used against
microbes, but in the usual medical usage, antibiotics (such as penicillin) are those
produced naturally (by one microorganism fighting another), whereas non-antibiotic
antibacterials (such as sulfonamides and antiseptics) are fully synthetic. However, both
classes have the same goal of killing or preventing the growth of microorganisms, and
both are included in antimicrobial chemotherapy. Antibacterials include antiseptic
drugs, antibacterial soaps, and chemical disinfectants, whereas antibiotics are an
important class of antibacterials used more specifically in medicine and sometimes in
livestock feed.

Questions:
1. What is an antibiotic?
2. Mention some of the antibiotics that you know?
3. Why do doctors prescribe antibiotics for patients?

1
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

A dialogue between chemist and customer at the pharmacy

Chemist: What can I do for you, sir?

Customer: I want to buy some medicines.

Chemist: May I know which medicines do you want?

Customer: I have got a doctor's prescription for some medicines for my wife.

Chemist: Please, show me.

Customer: I shall just show you, it was in my coat pocket. I am trying to find out.
Here it is, please.

Chemist: There are five medicines written in this prescription. I am sorry that we
don't have the last medicine. If you want, you can have the first four medicines.

Customer: When can I have the other medicine, please?

Chemist: You can have it on Friday. We have already placed the order with the
manufacturers and we hope to get it before Friday.

Customer: Then please give me the medicines which are available with you, for
two weeks.

Chemist: Just a minute please. Here are you medicine.

Customer: Thank you.

Chemist: Anything else you want, please?

Customer: Now I want some general medicines for my family. Have you got
Anacin.

Chemist: Yes, please. How many tablets do you want?

Customer: Please give me one packet of ten tablets.

Chemist: Here it is, please.

Customer: I also want a tin of first aid dressings and some good cough syrup.

Chemist: I shall get you these in five minutes.

Customer: Have you got some good tooth brush and a small sized tooth paste?

2
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

Chemist: Yes, please. Here are all the popular brands of tooth brushes and tooth
pastes. You can, choose any of these according to your liking.

Customer: Please give me two pieces of Colgate tooth brush and one medium sized
Natural tooth paste.

Chemist: Please have these.

Customer: I also want one small bottle of Dettol and a tube of Burnol.

Chemist: Please have these.

Customer: Can I also have two packets of Erasmic Blades?

Chemist: Certainly. Do you want anything else or should I make the bill.

Customer: Please make the bill.

Chemist: This is your bill please.

Customer: Here is the money. Please return the balance to me.

Chemist: This is your balance please.

Customer: Thank you.

Chemist: Thank you, for your visit, sir.

Questions :

1. How many people in the dialogue above?

2. What is the problem of the customer?

3. What did the customer buy from the pharmacy?

4. Does the customer has a prescription from any doctor or not?

Grammar:
Passive: we often use passive when the doer of the action is not necessary.
Missing teeth are replaced. O + are + pp
Missing tooth is replaced. …………………
Missing teeth were replaced. …………………

3
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

Missing tooth was replaced. …………………

Missing teeth are being replaced. …………………
Missing tooth is being replaced. ………………
Dental clinics must be furnished well. ……………
Missing teeth will be replaced. …………………
Missing teeth have been replaced. …………………
Missing tooth has been replaced. …………………
Missing teeth had been replaced. ……………………

Exercise:
Change these statements into passive voice:
Anopheles mosquito spreads malaria.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Dentists must furnish dental clinics well.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Coughs and sneezes spread diseases.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Government will build two health centers in the countryside.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
The dentist is going to fill my decayed tooth tomorrow.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Professor of anatomy has taught us a lecture on parts of the mouth.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Dr. Yehya teaches us cytology at 8 a.m. every Sunday.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Fleming discovered penicillin a long time ago.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Children brush their teeth thrice every day.
…………………………………………..……………………………………

4
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

I bought antibacterial and antiviral from the drug store yesterday.

…………………………………………..……………………………………
Parents should vaccinate their children against polio and measles.
…………………………………………..……………………………………
Diabetic patients takes their medicine regularly.
…………………………………………..……………………………………

Grammar:
Use of the modals:
Can: is used for possibility and ability.
Smoking can lead to tooth staining, gum disease.
May: is used for probability when someone is not sure.
If he smokes, he may develop oral cancer.
Must: is used for obligation, warning, banning and when someone is sure.
You must not smoke in the hospital.
You must not open your books during the exam.
He has a dental carries. He must go to the dentist.
Shall/will: to express the future, willingness and speak about future intentions.
He will open a new dental clinic after graduation from the Faculty of Dentistry.

Exercise: Write one example for every modal.

5
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

Questions: Choose the correct alternative (a, b, c or d).

1. An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance ………….against

bacteria.
a) inactive
b) active
c) a and b
d) none of these

2. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses such as the common cold or
influenza.
a) true
b) false
c) a and b
d) I don’t know.

3. Penicillin is a kind of antibiotics.

a) I agree.
b) I disagree.
c) a and b
d) I don’t know.

4. May I ………………which medicines do you want to buy?

a) knew
b) known
c) knows
d) knowing

5. You should ……………..medications out of the reach of children.

a) keeps
b) keeping
c) kept
d) keep
6. This patient …………….have Corona virus. I’m not sure.
a) must
b) should
c) may
d) can
6
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

7. Hospitals ……………………….by the government every year in the

cities and in the countryside.
a) were built
b) are built
c) are going to be built
d) have been built

8. I …………………….some antibiotics from the pharmacy last night.

a) buy
b) am buying
c) will buy
d) bought

9. My decayed tooth was …………..by the dentist.

a) fill
b) fills
c) filled
d) filling

10.Diabetic patients …………………. eat a lot of cakes and chocolates.

a) should
b) must
c) must not
d) will

11. Some medications……………………from the pharmacy last night.

a) are bought
b) will be bought
c) have been bought
d) were bought

12. Have you got ………….ear drops in your house?

a) any
b) someone
c) lesser than
d) few
13. We must not …………………….in the clinics and hospitals.
a) smoking
7
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

b) smoke
c) smoked
d) smoky

14. The prefix ‘ante-’ means ‘against’.

a) Yes.
b) No.
c) I am not sure.
d) Maybe.

15. A medical conference ……………………………..on April 26th.

a) was going to be held
b) will be hold
c) is hold
d) is going to be held

16.The prefix ‘anti-’means ‘against’.

a) Yes.
b) No.
c) a and b
d) neither a nor b

8
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

Blood
Think about these questions before you read the text below.
- What are the functions of blood?
- Do you know the components of the blood?

Blood is a body fluid in humans and other animals that delivers necessary
substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic
waste products away from those same cells. In vertebrates, it is composed of blood
cells suspended in blood plasma. Plasma, which constitutes 55% of blood fluid, is
mostly water (92% by volume), and contains dissipated proteins, glucose,
mineral ions, hormones, carbon dioxide (plasma being the main medium for
excretory product transportation), and blood cells themselves.

Blood is circulated around the body through blood vessels by the pumping
action of the heart. In animals with lungs, arterial blood carries oxygen from inhaled
air to the tissues of the body, and venous blood carries carbon dioxide, a waste
product of metabolism produced by cells, from the tissues to the lungs to be
exhaled.
Blood performs many important functions within the body including:

9
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

 Supply of oxygen to tissues (bound to hemoglobin, which is carried in red cells)

 Supply of nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids (dissolved in
the blood or bound to plasma proteins (e.g., blood lipids))
 Removal of waste such as carbon dioxide, urea, and lactic acid
 Immunological functions, including circulation of white blood cells, and
detection of foreign material by antibodies
 Coagulation, the response to a broken blood vessel, the conversion of blood
from a liquid to a semi-solid gel to stop bleeding
 Messenger functions, including the transport of hormones and the signaling
of tissue damage
 Regulation of body pH
 Regulation of core body temperature
 Hydraulic functions

Questions:
1. What's blood?
2. Mention some functions of blood.
3. Write (true) or (false) in front of the following sentences.
a. Blood removes waste such as carbon dioxide, urea, and lactic acid
b. Blood is circulated around the body through blood vessels by the
pumping action of the kidney.
c. Coagulation is an important feature of the blood.

Dialogue: practice this dialogue with your classmate.

Mr. Faisal: Good morning, Dr. Sameer!

Dr: Sameer: Good morning! What’s wrong with you?
Mr. Faisal: I have been suffering from fever since yesterday.

10
English for Medicine Dr. Mohammed Abduh Khoshafah

Dr: Sameer: Do you have any other symptoms?

Mr. Faisal: I also feel headache and shivering.
Dr: Sameer: Let me take your temperature. At this time the fever is 102 degree.
Don’t worry, there is nothing serious. I am giving you the medicine, and you will be
all right in couple of days.
Mr. Faisal: Thank you, doctor.
Dr: Sameer: But get your blood tested for malaria, and come with the report
tomorrow.
Mr. Faisal: OK doctor.
Dr: Sameer: I shall recommend at least two days rest for you.
Mr. Faisal: Would you prepare a medical certificate for me to submit it in my
office?
Dr: Sameer: Oh sure, this is your medical certificate.
Mr. Faisal: Thank you very much. Please tell me how shall I take this medicine?
Dr: Sameer: This medicine is for one day only. Take this dose as soon as you
reach your home and the second at 3 pm and the third at night before sleeping.
Mr. Faisal: What should I eat doctor?
Dr: Sameer: You should eat only light food. You can take milk and fresh fruit
also.
Mr. Faisal: How much shall I pay you doctor?
Dr: Sameer: You can pay consultation fee at the reception desk.
Mr. Faisal: Thanks doctor.
Dr: Sameer: It’s all right.
Mr. Faisal: Thank you doctor. I shall see you tomorrow with my blood report.

11