Useful Spanish for Hospital or Medical Situations

We hope that you won’t need any of the phrases and vocabulary below! But, if you do have a medical emergency or a visit to hospital, the language barrier can make an already difficult situation more stressful.

In the passage below, and in its English translation, along with a vocabulary list of some useful words to help you if you in this sort of situation.

Please note that we have used the ‘tú’ form for when the coach is speaking to Pedro, but the more formal ‘usted’ version when medical staff are speaking to him. Although Pedro is probably at an age where he would still largely be addressed familiarly, we have used the politer version as this is the way you will almost certainly be spoken to by medical personnel.

Pedro en el Hospital

Pedro está jugando al fútbol, su deporte preferido, cuando alguien le empuje, y cae al suelo. Cae encima de su pierna derecha, y le duele mucho. Los chicos dejan de jugar.

¿Dónde te duele?” pregunta el entrenador.

“Me duele mucho la pierna derecha,” contesta Pedro.

“Debemos llevarte al hospital. A urgencias.”

El entrenador tiene un botiquín de primeros auxilios. Limpia la pierna con antiséptico, y pone una venda elástica.

“No necesitamos una ambulancia. Voy a llevarte. También voy a llamar a tus padres.”

El entrenador lleva a Pedro a su coche en una camilla.

En el hospital, están mucho tiempo en la sala de espera. Luego, una enfermera lleva a Pedro en una silla de ruedas a ver al medico. Su oficina está bastante lejos.

“¿Toma alguna medicina?” pregunta el medico.

“No, no tomo nada,” contesta Pedro.

“Tiene algún otro dolor?”

“No, solo me duele la pierna.”

“Vale. Quisiera examinar esa pierna con rayos X.”

La radiografía muestra que la pierna de Pedro está rota. La enfermera le lleva a la sala de enyesado, dónde enyesan la pierna.

“Tiene que volver después de cuatro semanas para quitar el enyesado. Le daremos un par de muletas.”

“¡Pero mi fútbol!” dice Pedro. “¡Juego en el equipo para mi colegio, y tenemos un partido el sábado!”

“Lo siento,” dice el medico. Tendrá que animar el equipo desde la barrera, y, la próxima vez, ¡tener más cuidado!

Vocabulario

• el entrenador - coach
• me duele - it hurts (me)
• urgencias - A & E (casualty)
• botiquín de primeros auxilios - First Aid kit
• una venda - bandage
• una camilla - stretcher
• una enfermera - nurse
• una silla de ruedas - wheelchair
• el medico - the doctor
• examinar con rayos X - to X-ray
• la radiografía - X-ray photo
• la sala de enyesado - plaster room
• las muletas - crutches
• desde la barrera - from the sidelines

Peter in Hospital

Peter is playing football, his favourite sport, when someone pushes him, and he falls to the ground. He falls on top of his right leg, and it hurts him very much. The boys stop playing.

“Where does it hurt?” asks the coach.

“My right leg hurts a lot,” replies Peter.

“We should get you to hospital. To A & E.”

The coach has a First Aid box. He cleans the leg with antiseptic, and puts on an elastic bandage.

“We don’t need an ambulance. I’m going to take you. I’ll give your parents a call, as well.”

The coach takes Peter to his car on a stretcher.

In the hospital, they are in the waiting room for a long time. Then a nurse takes Peter in a wheelchair to see the doctor. His office is some way away.

“Do you take any medicine?” asks the doctor.

“No, I don’t take anything,” replies Peter.

“Do you have any other pain?”

“No, it’s only my leg which hurts.”

“OK. I’d like to x-ray that leg.”

The X-ray photo shows that Peter’s leg is broken. The nurse takes him to the plaster room, where they put a plaster on the leg.

“You must come back in four weeks to get the plaster taken off. We’ll give you a pair of crutches.”

“But, my football!” says Peter. “I play in the school team, and we’ve got a match on Saturday.”

“Sorry,” says the doctor. “You’ll just have to cheer the team on from the sidelines. And, next time, be more careful!”