INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS Y ESTUDIOS

SUPERIORES DE TAMAULIPAS A. C.
DIVISIÓN, CAMPUS O UNIDAD: MÉRIDA

English I

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 INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS Y ESTUDIOS
SUPERIORES DE TAMAULIPAS A. C.
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1 THE HOSPITAL TEAM

Reading and vocabulary

A big hospital is like a small town; it needs thousands of people to make it work. All these
people are organized into teams and each person in each team has a rank and often a
specialism. In the past, the health care team’s chain of command was simple: doctors made
decisions and gave senior nurses orders. Senior nurses then instructed junior nurses, and so
on. Things are changing. In many countries nurses have much more responsibility than they
once had. One thing is not changing; it is still a doctor who is in charge of a patient’s
treatment. In Britain, that doctor is called a consultant. Next in line to the consultant is the
registrar. Consultants and registrars train the junior doctors who are called house officers or
interns. Junior doctors work the same long, unsocial hours that nurses do on the wards. The
most senior nurses are nursing officers; they are administrators. Then come ward managers
who supervise staff nurses and students. It is not only doctors and nurses who deliver
treatment and care; there are many other specialists too. For example, there are
physiotherapists who specialize in exercises to treat injury or dysfunction and occupational
therapists who help patients manage every-day living. There are also many people the
patient does not meet like lab technicians doing the tests and pharmacists dispensing
medicines. Like any town, a hospital has teams of office staff and ancillary workers such as
porters, orderlies, technicians, drivers, cleaners, receptionists and cooks. Evejjry team is
essential for the delivery of treatment and care. This includes the volunteers who, without
pay, raise money for the hospital and run shops, cinemas, libraries and restaurants.

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Comprehension
Use the information in the text to complete the sentences with a, b or c.

1 A hospital is like a small town because.

a it’s busy.
b it’s full of different kinds of people.
c there are so many buildings.

2 The difference between now and the past is that.

a nursing is easier.
b nurses make more decisions.
c nurses work harder.

3 Consultants and nursing officers are both .

a senior staff.
b house officers.
c in charge of a patient’s treatment .

4 Ward managers are .

a nurses.
b office workers.
c senior doctors.

5 Lab technicians and pharmacists .

a deliver treatment and care.
b work in the background.
c help the specialists.

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6 Hospital volunteers are .

a sometimes needed.
b paid well.
c essential.

2 IN AND AROUND THE HOSPITAL

READING AND VOCABULARY

Some hospitals specialize in particular conditions like cancer or psychiatric illness. Other
hospitals specialize in particular types of patients like geriatrics, children or the terminally
ill. However, the best known type of hospital is the general hospital which deals with
almost everything, has ambulance crews and beds for both intensive care and long stay. A
big general hospital has many different specialist departments. Identifying departments can
be confusing because different hospitals use different names for the same thing. For
example, one hospital may have a ‘children’s unit’ which a different hospital calls
‘Paediatrics’. ‘Accident and Emergency’ (A&E) in one hospital is called ‘Casualty’ in
another. There are many other examples. The department that specializes in heart problems,
is sometimes called ‘Coronary Care’. Others call it ‘Cardiology’ or ‘Cardiovascular
medicine’. Nephrology, the department that treats illnesses of the kidney is sometimes
called ‘the Renal Unit’. Gastroenterology (digestive system) is sometimes ‘the Department
of Hepatology’. Hospital staff often use abbreviations for departments. For example, they
refer to ‘Obs and Gynae’. This is a department combining Obstetrics (pregnancy), and
Gynaecology (women’s reproductive organs). They call Otolaryngology, ‘ENT’ (ears, nose
& throat), mostly because it is much easier to say

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COMPREHENSION

a What three types of hospitals are mentioned in the text?

_________________________________________________________

b Which is the most common type of hospital?

_________________________________________________________

c Why are hospital department names confusing?

_________________________________________________________

d Which two departments mentioned in the text, deal with the gastrointestinal tract?
_________________________________________________________
e How many departments is ‘Obs & Gynae’?
_________________________________________________________

f What is a common name for the Otolaryngology Department?

_________________________________________________________

VOCABULARY
Find terms in the text that mean the same as a-g.
The first one is done for you.

a mental health problems _________________________________

b elderly people _________________________________

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c people who are dying _________________________________

d paramedics _________________________________

e treatment for critically ill patients _________________________________

f stomach and intestines _________________________________

g uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes _________________________________

FURTHER VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Match department names 1-6 with parts of the body a-f.

Department name Parts of the body

1 Coronary Care _____ a tonsils

2 Gynaecology _____ b cérvix
3 Obstetrics _____ c bowel
4 Gastroenterology _____ d heart
5 ENT _____ e kidneys
6 Nephrology _____ f placenta

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3 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS
KEY WORDS FROM THE UNIT
Complete the sentences with the words from the list.

1 A triage nurse makes an initial . ____________________ cubicle

2 A snake bite can be. ____________________ life-threatening
prescriptions
3 Sometimes it is difficult to read . ____________________ treatment
4 Receptionists make for patients. ____________________ allergic
assessment
5 Arms and legs are called . ____________________ appointments
6 The doctor decides on the correct . ____________________ limbs
7 The patient is to certain antibiotics. ____________________
8 Go into the to get undressed. ____________________

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READING AND VOCABULARY

There are three ways to admit a patient to hospital: either as an outpatient, a day patient or
an inpatient. An outpatient needs treatment but not a bed. A day patient needs a bed for a
few hours, but doesn’t need to stay overnight. An inpatient needs at least one overnight
stay. Hospitals need to plan for patient admissions. They have to predict how many beds
they will need. It is quite easy to predict referrals from doctors like General Practitioners,
but a larger number of patients come through A&E, and it is more difficult to plan for them.
It is very important to keep accurate records of patients’ treatment, from admission through
to discharge and follow-up. These include personal details such as marital status,
occupation and next of kin, as well as medical history such as past illnesses and treatments,

family history and lifestyle. Medical staff record all treatments, test results and
correspondence. They try to record these things at the time they happen. This is important,

and not only to ensure the correct treatment. Medical records are sometimes used for
research, or in a court of law.

COMPREHENSION
According to the text, are the following statements are true (T) or false (F)?
1 Admissions to hospital are all inpatients. __________________
2 There are more emergency admissions than referrals. __________________
3 Hospital records stop at discharge. __________________
4 Personal details are part of medical records. __________________
5 Staff should record treatments at the end of their shift. __________________
6 Only medical staff can look at medical records. __________________

VOCABULARY
Match the words or phrases 1–7 to a suitable definition a–g.
The first one is done for you.

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1 overnight stay a when a patient is sent to hospital
2 admission b normal, everyday behaviour
3 referral c treatment after a patient has been discharged
from hospital
4 discharge d time as an inpatient
5 follow-up e letters, emails and messages
6 correspondence f the moment when a patient enters hospital
7 lifestyle g when a patient is told they can leave hospital

WRITING
Writing an admission summary
Read the example summary of an admission and use the information in the box to write a
similar summary.

Example Summary

Jim Grady is a 58-year-old man. He is a retired farmer. His wife is dead and his son is his

next of kin. Mr Grady was bitten by a snake while walking with his dog, and admitted to

hospital as a day patient. He has a medical history of high blood pressure and he smokes 20

cigarettes per day.

Patient admission information

Surname: Ghazi

First name: Mariam

Reason for admission: Fever 9

Age: 6 months Gender: F

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Summary

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Patient admission information

Surname: ___________________
First name:___________________
Reason for admission: ___________
Age: ______________ Gender: ___________
Next of kin: ______________________
Medical history: ________________________________________
Family history: _________________________________________

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PAIN
READING AND VOCABULARY

Pain is important because it tells us that we are injured or ill. However, we don’t all feel
pain in the same way. Researchers are trying to learn more about this fact. Their
experiments show that children are more sensitive to pain than adults, and that men can
tolerate more pain than women.
Pain is also difficult to measure and describe. This is a problem because it is an important
symptom and medics (medical staff) need information from patients about it. It is therefore
common practice to give patients lists of words and ask them to say which words best
describe three things: the type of pain they are suffering, its intensity (how bad it is ) and its
frequency (how often they feel it).

With some patients, such as children, words don’t work very well to describe intensity, so
medics use smiley faces or sometimes colours. For example, blues mean a mild pain and
reds mean severe pain. Some medics prefer a range of numbers; 0 is no pain and 10 is
unbearable pain.

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 INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS Y ESTUDIOS
SUPERIORES DE TAMAULIPAS A. C.
DIVISIÓN, CAMPUS O UNIDAD: MÉRIDA
Pain does not always show where an injury is. Internal organs, for example, do not have
many painreceiving nerve endings, so internal injuries often cause pain in a different part of
the body. This is called ‘referred pain’. One example of referred pain is when someone
suffering a heart attack feels pain in their left shoulder, arm or hand

COMPREHENSION

Use the information in the text to complete the sentences with a, b or c.

1 Researchers are trying to find out why.

a people experience pain differently.

b people feel pain.

c pain is important to people.

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 INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS Y ESTUDIOS
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2 Experiments show that .

a pain is worse for men than women.

b men can take more pain than women.

c children feel less pain than adults.

3 Nurses need to measure a patient’s pain because .

a pain is a problem.

b pain is a symptom.

c patients can’t describe it.

4 Medics ask patients for a number to describe.

a the kind of pain they have.

b how bad the pain is.

c how often they’re in pain.

5 To describe pain, medics ask children to .

a point to a smiley face.

b think of some numbers.

c say how it feels.

6 You experience referred pain.

a only in your internal organs.

b long after an injury.

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c in a different place from an injury

VOCABULARY
Write ‘F’ next to the sentences which are about frequency of pain.
Write ‘T’ next to the sentences which describe types of pain (T).

1 He says his toe is throbbing. ___________

2 It’s wearing off now and it’s just an occasional ache. ___________
3 The shooting pains are getting worse. ___________
4 He complains of frequent headaches. ___________
5 She has a stabbing pain in her side. ___________
6 She was in constant pain, but now it’s gone. ___________

FURTHER VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Give these patients’ pain a score from 1 to 6. 1 is the lowest pain, 6 is most severe.

a ‘It’s moderately painful when you touch it.’ __________

b ‘It’s agonizing, I can’t bear it.’ __________
c ‘There is a very mild pain when I move.’ __________
d ‘It feels very sore.’ __________
e ‘There’s a severe stabbing pain in my head.’ __________
f ‘It’s not bad today, thank you.’ __________
WRITING
Writing a report Read the example Pain Report and use the information in the box to write
a similar report about a patient with appendicitis, Mrs. Fawza Adnan.

Example Pain Report

At 18.30 last night the patient complained of a constant shooting pain in his right leg.
The pain ranged from moderate to severe. At 08.30 today he says that the type of pain
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has not changed but it is now occasional. However, when it comes it is much worse.
The patient says he is in agony.
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Pain Report
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Patient’s name: Mrs Fawza Adnan

Time Location of Pain Pain Pain type

pain Frequency intensity

Vocabulario relacionado a la salud y terminos médicos en

inglés
Word Signific abnormal
part of ado en adj
speech español ache  doler /

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 INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS Y ESTUDIOS
SUPERIORES DE TAMAULIPAS A. C.
DIVISIÓN, CAMPUS O UNIDAD: MÉRIDA
noun/verb dolor (attack)
(verbo o noun
sustanti bacteria  bacteri
vo) noun a
acute  agudo bedsore  escaras
adj noun
allergy n  alérgic benign  benign
oun o adj o
allergic a biopsy  biopsia
dj noun
ambulan  ambula blood  hemogr
ce ncia count ama
noun noun
amnesia  amnesi blood  donant
noun a donor e de
amputati  amputa noun sangre
on noun ción / blood  presión
amputate  amputar pressure arterial
verb (sustant noun
uvo brace  abrazad
/verbo) noun era
anaemia   anemia breech  posició
noun / adj n de
anaemic  anémico nalgas
adj (sustanti del bebe
vo / al nacer
adjetivo
broken  roto
)
adj
antibiotic  antibiót
bruise no  moreto
s icos
un n–
noun
bruised a contusió
anti-  antidep dj n
depressa resivos
Caesarea  cesarea
nt
n section,
noun
C-section
appointm  cita noun
ent
cancer  cancer
noun
noun
arthritis  artritis
cardiopul  reanim
noun
monary ación
asthma  asma resuscitat cardiop

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ion ulmonar
(CPR)
noun
cast  yeso
noun
chapel,  capilla
chapeline
noun
chemothe  quimiot
rapy erapia
noun
chickenp  varicel
ox a
noun
coroner  funcion
noun ario
encarga
do de
investig
ar las
causas
de
muertes
violenta
s,
repentin
as o
sospech
osas, ≈
juez de
instrucc
ión
critical  condici
condition ón
noun crítica
crutches  muletas
noun
cyst  quiste
noun
deaf  sordo
adj

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 INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS Y ESTUDIOS
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deficienc  deficie adj
y ncia flu  gripe
noun (influenz
dehydrat  deshidr a)
ed atado; noun
adj fracture   fractura
dementia  demenc noun do
noun ia fractured 
diabetes  diabete adj
noun s germ  gérmen
diagnosis  diagnós noun es
noun tico genetic  genétic
discomfo  molesti adj o
rt a growth  hinchaz
noun noun ón
disease  enferm heart  ataque
noun edad attack cardiaco
dislocate  disloca noun
d do HIV  VIH
adj noun (SIDA)
emergenc  emerge hives  urticari
y ncia noun a
noun illness no  enferm
ER  Sala de un edad
(emergen emerge ill adj
cy room) ncia immune  sistema
noun system inmunol
external  externo noun ógico
adj immuniz  inmuni
false  examen ation nou zar
negative erroneo n
noun immuniz
adj e verb
family  historia incision  incisió
history familiar noun n
noun inconclus  inconcl
fatal  fatal ive uyente
adj adj
fever nou  fiebre / infant  infante
n afiebrad noun
feverish  o infection   infecci

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noun ón / ne vivo
infected  infectad a un
adj o pacient
inflamed  inflama e
adj do life-  con
injury  herida threateni peligro
noun ng para la
intensive  Unidad adj vida
care unit de light-  maread
(ICU) Cuidado headed o
noun s adj
Intensiv malignan  malign
os – t o
ICU adj
internal  interno medical  faculta
adj school d de
itchy  adjetiv (med. medicin
adj o que school) a
indica noun
que newborn  recien
algo   noun nacido
pica numb  entume
IV  tratami adj cido
noun ento OR  sala de
intraven (operatin operaci
oso g room) ón
lab  resulta noun
results dos del operation  operaci
noun laborato noun ón
rio operate
lab  laborat on verb
(laborato orio pain  dolor
ry) noun
noun pain  analgés
life  soport killer, ico
support e vital – pain
noun prosedi reliever
miento noun
en paralyze  paraliz
donde d ado
se le adj
mantie
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patient  pacient pharmaci  farmac
noun es st éutico
noun

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pharmac  farmaci limpiar
y, a y
drugstore desinfec
noun tar la
physician médico zona
noun quirúrgi
poison no  veneno ca
un so second  segund
poisonou opinion a
s adj noun opinion
prenatal  prenata (consult
adj l ar a otro
prescripti  receta doctor)
on noun médica seizure  convuls
prescribe  noun ión
verb shock  shock
privacy n  privado noun
oun o side  efectos
private a particul effects secunda
dj ar noun rios
radiation  radiaci sore  
noun ón adj dolorido
residency  médico ,
resident interno adolorid
noun o,
routine  cheque irritado
check-up o (de spasm  espasm
noun rutina) noun o
scrubs  unifor specialist  especia
noun me noun lista
usado sprain hacerse
por noun/verb un
enferme esguinc
ro(a)s, e en,
doctores distende
apunto rse
de stable  condici
operar condition ón
scrub up  perfor noun estable
verb ming sting  escozor
surgery) noun/verb , ardor

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stress no  estres cord umbilic
un noun al
stressed  unconsci  inconsi
adj ous ente
swelling   inflama adj
noun do urine  prueba
swollen a sample de orina
dj noun
symptom  síntom vein  vena
s as noun
noun virus  virus
temperat  fiebre noun
ure visiting  horas
noun hours de
tender  sensibl noun visitas
adj e vomit  vomitar
test  resulta noun/verb
results do de ward  sala de
noun los noun paciente
exámen s
es wheelcha  silla de
therapy  terapia ir ruedas
noun noun
transplan  transpl wound n  herido
t ante oun
noun wounded 
ultrasoun  ultraso adj
d nido x-ray  rayos X
noun noun/verb
umbilical  cordón

NOMBRE DEL ALUMNO: ________________________________________________

NOMBRE DEL DOCENTE: _____________________________GRUPO:__________

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FECHA:________________________________________________ACIERTOS: ______

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD AND COMPLETE THE SENTENCES

WHEELCHAIR * ACHE * HEART ATTACK * ALLERGIC *AMBULANCE *  IMMUNE

SYSTEM  * SWOLLEN * AMNESIA *VOMITING * ANAEMIC * UMBILICAL CORD  *

RADIATION  * ANTIBIOTICS * APPOINTMENT * TEST RESULTS  * ASTHMA *

BIOPSY  * BRUISED * CAESAREAN* SECTION * CAST * TRANSPLANT *

CHICKENPOX * DIAGNOSIS * OPERATION *FALSE NEGATIVE * FAMILY HISTORY *

LAB RESULTS * PAIN * PRESCRIPTION *

1. I can’t sleep because my shoulders _____________.

2. I am extremely ____________ to chocolate peanuts.

3. We called the ____________ as soon as he had the accident

4. I can’t remember the accident because I had ____________.

5. I need to eat healthier food because I am ____________.

6. My infection went away after I started my treatment with ____________.

7. I have an ____________t with a specialist this week.

8. I always carry an inhaler because I have ____________.

9. The ____________ I had ruled out cancer.

10. After playing futbol I noticed that my knee was ____________.

11. The baby was in a breech position so they had to perform a ____________ .

12. My arm was in a ____________ for a long time.

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13. My son is in bed because he has ____________.

14. I was happy to know that _________________ was positive.

15. In case of an____________, always have your first aid kit equipped.

16. We had two __________________________ pregnancy tests, so we didn’t know

we were having a baby.

17. To check if I had cancer they first asked for my _______________________ .

18. The old man was taken to the _______________ so that he could go outside.

19. People who smoke are at greater risk of having a _______________ .

20. You can’t have a surgery until your _______________ is normal.

21. The _______________ will be ready next week.

22. The _______________ lasted all afternoon but was successful.

23. We gave my daughter some medicine to relieve some of the_______________ .

24. You will need to visit your doctor to get another _______________ .

25. _______________ is very dangerous and may cause cancer.

26. I knew my ankle was sprained because it was so_______________ .

27. The_______________  came back negative. You aren’t pregnant.

28. The liver _______________t saved your life.

29. I had an emergency C-section because the _______________  was wrapped around

the baby’s neck.

30. When my wife was pregnant she could not stop _______________ .

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