English is the shared language of medical journals, international guidelines, conferences and exams, and many hospitals abroad work in it every day. This glossary gathers the words doctors and medical students actually use on the ward and in clinic, from taking a history to writing a prescription, with Turkish equivalents and realistic examples. It also flags the false friends that trip up Turkish speakers, such as poliklinik, asistan and serum.
200 terms
8 topics
82 core terms
409 example sentences
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Symptoms and Signs
symptom
noun
Meaning
Something a patient feels and reports, such as pain, tiredness or nausea, that may show they have an illness. Doctors learn about it by asking, not by measuring.
Where you use it
Used constantly in history taking, case presentations and notes. Doctors ask about the onset and duration of symptoms, and patients are described as symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Examples
When did your symptoms start, and have they got worse since then?
She was asymptomatic until last week, when she developed a cough and fever.
Typical symptoms of a urinary infection include burning and passing urine more often.
Evidence of disease that a doctor can see, feel, hear or measure, such as a rash, a heart murmur or a high temperature, rather than something the patient reports.
Where you use it
Paired with symptom in the phrase 'signs and symptoms'. Many examination findings are named after doctors, such as Murphy's sign. Doctors look for, elicit or find a sign.
Examples
There were no signs of infection around the wound.
Can you list the classic signs and symptoms of dehydration?
Usage note
A symptom is what the patient feels (pain, nausea); a sign is what the doctor finds (fever, swelling). The 'g' in sign is silent.
Common phrases
signs and symptoms · clinical signs · warning signs · elicit a sign · no signs of
Starting suddenly and lasting a short time, often needing quick attention; the opposite of chronic.
Where you use it
Very common in diagnoses (acute appendicitis, acute kidney injury) and in the names of hospital units, such as the acute medical unit. 'Acute-on-chronic' describes a sudden worsening of a long-term problem.
Examples
The CT confirmed acute appendicitis, so the surgeons took her to theatre that night.
Is this an acute problem, or has it been going on for months?
Usage note
'Acute' describes speed and duration, not severity. A mild problem can be acute, and a severe one can be chronic.
A feeling that you cannot get enough air or have to work hard to breathe; the medical word is dyspnea (UK: dyspnoea).
Where you use it
A very common presenting complaint in emergency and respiratory medicine. Written SOB or SOBOE (shortness of breath on exertion) in notes. Patients say they are 'short of breath' or 'breathless'.
Examples
How far can you walk before the shortness of breath stops you?
He was admitted with worsening shortness of breath and swollen ankles.
Usage note
SOB is a normal abbreviation in clinical notes, but avoid it in letters to patients: in everyday slang it is an insult.
Common phrases
shortness of breath on exertion · sudden shortness of breath · worsening shortness of breath · short of breath
A body temperature higher than normal, usually above about 38 °C, often a sign that the body is fighting an infection.
Where you use it
Asked about in almost every history. Patients 'have a fever' or 'run a fever'; British patients often say 'I've got a temperature'. The adjective is febrile, and its opposite is afebrile.
Examples
She's had a fever of 39 degrees for two days, with chills at night.
The fever settled after 48 hours of antibiotics.
Usage note
In speech 'temperature' alone can mean fever: 'He's got a temperature' means it is high. Unlike Turkish 'ateş', English 'fire' is never used for fever.
Common phrases
have a fever · high fever · low-grade fever · the fever settles · fever and chills
An unpleasant feeling in the stomach that you might vomit. It may or may not be followed by actually being sick.
Where you use it
Usually mentioned together with vomiting (N&V or N/V in notes). Doctors ask about it in abdominal, pregnancy and medication histories; it is one of the most common side effects listed on drug leaflets.
Examples
Any nausea or vomiting since the pain started?
The nausea usually wears off after the first week of treatment.
Usage note
Patients say 'I feel sick' (UK) or 'I feel nauseous' (US). In British English 'be sick' often means to vomit.
A vague feeling of being unsteady, light-headed or as if the room is moving; patients use the word for several different sensations.
Where you use it
A common but unclear complaint, so doctors ask more questions: does the room spin (vertigo), do you feel faint (pre-syncope), or are you unsteady on your feet? Patients say 'I feel dizzy'.
Examples
When you say dizziness, do you mean the room is spinning or that you might faint?
Dizziness on standing is a common side effect of this blood pressure tablet.
Usage note
Turkish 'baş dönmesi' and English 'dizziness' are both vague. 'Vertigo' is narrower: a false feeling that you or the room are spinning.
Common phrases
episodes of dizziness · dizziness on standing · feel dizzy · dizziness and fainting
A symptom or sign that suggests a serious cause, such as cancer or a spinal problem, and needs urgent attention or tests.
Where you use it
Widely used in guidelines and teaching: red flags for back pain, headache or cancer. Doctors 'screen for' or 'ask about' red flags and write 'no red flags' in the notes.
Examples
Weight loss and night sweats are red flags, so we should investigate further.
No red flag symptoms; likely simple mechanical back pain.
Common phrases
red flag symptoms · screen for red flags · no red flags · red flags for
Of pain, to spread from the place where it starts to another part of the body, for example from the chest to the left arm.
Where you use it
A standard question in pain histories ('Does the pain go anywhere else?'). In notes doctors write 'radiating to the back' or 'non-radiating'. Patients may say the pain 'goes down' or 'shoots into' an arm or leg.
Examples
The pain radiates to his left arm and jaw.
Central abdominal pain radiating to the back makes me think of pancreatitis.
Usage note
A patient's 'sırtıma vuruyor' is 'it goes through to my back' or 'it radiates to my back' in English; never translate it with 'hit'.
Common phrases
radiate to the back · radiating pain · non-radiating · radiate down the arm
An increase in the size of a body part, usually caused by fluid, inflammation or injury, such as swollen ankles or a swollen joint.
Where you use it
Patients say 'swelling' or 'swollen'; doctors often say edema for fluid swelling and record whether it is pitting. Doctors ask where it is, when it started and whether it is painful.
Examples
Have you noticed any swelling in your ankles at the end of the day?
There's swelling and redness around the knee, and it's hot to touch.
Usage note
The medical word for swelling caused by fluid is edema (US) or oedema (UK). Patients rarely use it.
Common phrases
ankle swelling · swelling of the leg · reduce the swelling · facial swelling
An area of skin that changes in colour or texture, for example becoming red, spotty, bumpy or itchy.
Where you use it
Patients 'come out in' or 'develop' a rash. Doctors describe where it is and what it looks like (macular, papular, blanching or non-blanching). A non-blanching rash with fever is a red flag in children.
Examples
She came out in an itchy rash two days after starting the antibiotics.
The rash didn't fade when pressed, so we treated him for meningitis straight away.
Common phrases
skin rash · itchy rash · develop a rash · non-blanching rash · drug rash
Extreme tiredness or lack of energy that does not go away with normal rest, often a symptom of illness or of treatment.
Where you use it
A formal word used in notes and research; patients usually say 'tired', 'exhausted' or 'no energy'. It is common in anemia, thyroid disease, depression and cancer, and after viral infections.
Examples
Fatigue is the symptom she finds hardest during chemotherapy.
He's had three months of fatigue and weight loss, so we're checking his bloods.
Usage note
Pronunciation trap: the stress is on the second syllable and the ending sounds like 'teeg': fa-TEEG.
Common phrases
chronic fatigue · fatigue and weight loss · severe fatigue · cancer-related fatigue
An unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat, which may feel fast, strong, irregular or as if it is skipping beats.
Where you use it
Almost always plural. Doctors ask patients to tap out the rhythm, and ask about triggers, duration and fainting. Investigations usually include an ECG and sometimes a 24-hour heart monitor.
Examples
She's been getting palpitations, mostly in the evening after coffee.
Can you tap out the rhythm of your palpitations on the table for me?
Usage note
Do not confuse palpitations (feeling your heartbeat) with palpation (examining with your hands).
Common phrases
episodes of palpitations · complain of palpitations · palpitations and dizziness · fast palpitations
An unpleasant feeling in part of the body that tells you something is hurt or not working properly; it is the most common reason people see a doctor.
Where you use it
Doctors ask about the site, character, severity and timing of pain, often with the mnemonic SOCRATES and a 0–10 pain score. Pain is described as sharp, dull, burning, crushing or colicky. Patients also say 'it hurts' or 'it aches'.
Examples
On a scale of 0 to 10, how bad is the pain right now?
She has had a dull pain in her lower back for three weeks.
Usage note
'Pain' is not a verb in standard English. Say 'My chest hurts' or 'I have chest pain', not 'My chest is paining'.
Common phrases
severe pain · sharp pain · pain relief · pain score · be in pain
Pain anywhere in the head; most headaches are harmless, but a few are a sign of a serious problem.
Where you use it
One of the most common complaints in general practice and the emergency department. Doctors ask about onset, site and red flags: a sudden 'worst ever' headache, fever with neck stiffness, or headache with weakness. Types include tension headache, migraine and cluster headache.
Examples
He came in with a sudden, severe headache that started while he was lifting weights.
Do you get these headaches at a particular time of day?
Usage note
Unlike 'back pain', 'headache' normally takes the article: 'I have a headache', not 'I have headache'.
Common phrases
severe headache · tension headache · thunderclap headache · have a headache
A sudden, noisy push of air out of the lungs that clears the airways; it can be dry or bring up phlegm.
Where you use it
Doctors ask how long the cough has lasted, whether it is dry or productive, and whether there is any blood (haemoptysis). In adults a cough lasting more than about eight weeks is usually called chronic. 'Cough' is also a verb: 'cough up blood'.
Examples
I've had this cough for a month, and now I'm bringing up green phlegm.
A dry cough is a known side effect of some blood pressure tablets.
Usage note
The 'gh' sounds like 'f', so 'cough' rhymes with 'off'.
Bringing up the contents of the stomach through the mouth; it often follows nausea but can also happen without warning.
Where you use it
Doctors ask how often the patient is vomiting, what the vomit looks like (food, bile, blood, 'coffee grounds') and whether fluids stay down. Notes often pair it with nausea ('N&V'). Patients say 'be sick' or 'throw up'.
Examples
She has been vomiting since last night and can't keep any fluids down.
Repeated vomiting after a head injury is a red flag.
Usage note
In British English 'be sick' often means 'vomit': 'I was sick twice last night' does not mean 'I was ill'.
Passing loose or watery stools more often than usual, typically three or more times a day.
Where you use it
Doctors ask about frequency, duration, blood or mucus in the stool, recent travel and food, and contacts with the same symptoms. Diarrhea lasting longer than about four weeks is usually called chronic. Patients may say 'the runs' or 'an upset stomach'.
Examples
He developed diarrhea and vomiting two days after eating at a buffet.
The diarrhoea has settled, but she still feels weak.
Usage note
US spelling: diarrhea. UK spelling: diarrhoea. Both are stressed on the third syllable: dy-uh-REE-uh.
Pain or discomfort felt in the chest; it can come from the heart, lungs, food pipe, muscles or ribs, so it is always taken seriously.
Where you use it
A key presenting complaint in the emergency department. Doctors ask whether it is central, crushing or tight, whether it radiates to the arm or jaw, and what brings it on. An ECG is usually done early to look for a heart attack.
Examples
A 58-year-old man presented with central chest pain radiating to his left arm.
Her chest pain gets worse when she breathes in deeply.
Common phrases
central chest pain · pleuritic chest pain · atypical chest pain · chest pain on exertion
Pain anywhere in the belly, between the chest and the groin; it has many causes, from indigestion to appendicitis.
Where you use it
Doctors describe the site using regions (right iliac fossa, epigastric, right upper quadrant) and ask about vomiting, bowel habit and urine symptoms. Patients usually say 'stomach ache' or 'tummy ache', even when the pain is not in the stomach.
Examples
She was admitted with right lower abdominal pain and a fever.
The abdominal pain started around the belly button and then moved to the right side.
Usage note
Patients point to the whole belly and say 'stomach'; doctors keep 'stomach' for the organ itself.
Loss of blood from a damaged blood vessel, either outside the body from a wound or inside the body, where it may not be seen.
Where you use it
Used for any blood loss: 'GI bleeding', 'post-operative bleeding', 'bleeding gums'. Doctors ask where the bleeding is from, how much there is and whether the patient takes blood thinners. The formal word for serious bleeding is haemorrhage (US hemorrhage).
Examples
The bleeding stopped after ten minutes of firm pressure.
Any bleeding when you open your bowels?
Usage note
The verb is 'bleed' (bleed, bled, bled). Doctors also use 'a bleed' as a noun: 'a GI bleed', 'a brain bleed'.
Common phrases
heavy bleeding · internal bleeding · stop the bleeding · rectal bleeding · bleeding risk
A drop in body weight; when it happens without trying, it can be a sign of a serious illness such as cancer or an overactive thyroid.
Where you use it
In the history, doctors ask about 'unintentional' or 'unexplained weight loss', how much and over what time. It is a classic red flag, often asked together with night sweats and loss of appetite. In obesity care, weight loss is the goal.
Examples
Have you noticed any weight loss recently without trying?
She reports 8 kg of weight loss over three months.
Usage note
Say 'He has lost weight', not 'He lost his weight'.
Common phrases
unintentional weight loss · unexplained weight loss · significant weight loss · weight loss surgery
Loss or reduction of feeling in part of the body, so that touch, pain or temperature cannot be felt normally.
Where you use it
Often reported together with tingling ('pins and needles'). Doctors ask where it is, whether it follows one nerve or a 'glove and stocking' pattern, and whether there is weakness. Sudden numbness of one side of the face or body is a warning sign of stroke.
Examples
She describes numbness in her thumb and first two fingers, worse at night.
Any numbness or weakness in your arms or legs?
Usage note
The adjective is 'numb': 'My fingers feel numb.' The final 'b' is silent: it sounds like 'num'.
Common phrases
numbness and tingling · facial numbness · numbness in the hands · sudden numbness
Having difficulty emptying the bowels, or passing hard stools less often than is normal for that person.
Where you use it
Doctors ask about bowel habit: how often, consistency (often with the Bristol stool chart), straining and any change from normal. It is a common side effect of opioids and of lying in a hospital bed. A new change in bowel habit in older adults needs checking.
Examples
Constipation is common after surgery, especially with strong painkillers.
He has had constipation alternating with diarrhea for two months.
Usage note
The adjective is 'constipated': 'I've been constipated for a week.' Patients may also say 'I can't go'.
A sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause shaking, stiffness, staring or loss of consciousness.
Where you use it
Doctors ask witnesses what happened before, during and after: tongue biting, incontinence, how long it lasted and how long the patient stayed drowsy. Types include focal and generalised (tonic-clonic) seizures. 'Fit' is an older, informal word.
Examples
Her husband says she had a seizure lasting about two minutes and then seemed confused.
Febrile seizures are fairly common in young children and are usually harmless.
Common phrases
have a seizure · febrile seizure · tonic-clonic seizure · seizure activity · first seizure
Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, caused by a build-up of bilirubin in the blood.
Where you use it
A sign, not a disease. Doctors look for it in the whites of the eyes (sclera) and ask about dark urine, pale stools and itching. Causes are grouped as pre-hepatic, hepatic and post-hepatic (obstructive). Newborn jaundice is common in the first days of life.
Examples
He presented with painless jaundice and weight loss, which is worrying for pancreatic cancer.
On examination she is clinically jaundiced.
Usage note
The adjective is 'jaundiced'. It is pronounced JAWN-dis.
Swelling caused by too much fluid in the body's tissues, most often seen in the ankles and legs.
Where you use it
Doctors check whether it is 'pitting' (a dent stays after pressing) and how far up the legs it goes. It is linked with heart failure, kidney and liver disease and some drugs. Pulmonary edema means fluid in the lungs. Patients usually say 'swollen ankles'.
Examples
There is pitting edema up to both knees.
The chest X-ray shows pulmonary oedema.
Usage note
US spelling: edema. UK spelling: oedema. Both are pronounced ih-DEE-muh.
Having a disease or a positive test but no symptoms; also used for a patient whose symptoms have gone.
Where you use it
Common in screening ('asymptomatic adults'), infection ('asymptomatic carriers') and follow-up notes ('currently asymptomatic'). The opposite is symptomatic. Many conditions, such as high blood pressure, cause no symptoms for years.
Examples
The gallstones were found by chance, and she is completely asymptomatic.
Many people with chlamydia are asymptomatic.
Usage note
The prefix 'a-' means 'without', as in 'atypical'. The stress falls on 'MAT'.
A state in which a person cannot think clearly, is disoriented in time or place, or cannot follow what is happening around them.
Where you use it
Doctors separate acute confusion (delirium), often caused by infection, drugs or dehydration, from long-standing problems such as dementia. They ask relatives 'Is this new?' and test orientation and attention. Acute confusion is always a reason to look for an underlying cause.
Examples
Her daughter says the confusion started two days ago and is worse at night.
New confusion in an older patient may be the only sign of a urinary tract infection.
Usage note
The adjective is 'confused'. UK notes often say 'acutely confused'; 'delirium' is the formal diagnosis.
Common phrases
acute confusion · new confusion · episode of confusion · increasing confusion
A heart rate that is faster than normal, usually over 100 beats per minute in an adult at rest.
Where you use it
A sign rather than a diagnosis: doctors look for the cause, such as pain, fever, dehydration, bleeding, sepsis, PE or an arrhythmia. Notes say 'tachycardic at 120'. The opposite, a slow heart rate (under 60), is bradycardia.
Examples
She remains tachycardic despite fluids, so we need to look for bleeding.
Sinus tachycardia is the most common ECG finding in pulmonary embolism.
A brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary drop in blood flow to the brain, followed by full recovery within a short time.
Where you use it
The medical word for fainting. Doctors ask what happened before (standing, pain, exercise, palpitations), during and after, and look for cardiac causes. Common types are vasovagal and orthostatic syncope. Patients say 'I passed out' or 'I blacked out'.
Examples
He had an episode of syncope while standing in a long queue on a hot day.
Syncope during exercise is a red flag for a heart problem.
Usage note
Pronounced SIN-kuh-pee: the final 'e' is spoken, unlike in 'cope'.
To ask a patient structured questions about their current problem, past illnesses, medicines, family and lifestyle in order to understand what is wrong.
Where you use it
Every consultation starts with it, and medical schools test it in OSCE stations. Doctors take a full or focused history; the result is written in the notes as the history (Hx).
Examples
Can you take a history from the patient in bed 4 while I check the bloods?
Taking a good history gives you the diagnosis in most cases.
I haven't had time to take a full history, but the pain started this morning.
Usage note
English uses 'history', not 'anamnesis'. The word 'anamnesis' exists but sounds old-fashioned or foreign in everyday clinical English.
Common phrases
take a full history · take a focused history · history of presenting complaint · collateral history · drug history
To come to a doctor or hospital with a particular problem or symptom; also used for the way a disease first shows itself.
Where you use it
The standard opening of a case presentation, referral letter or discharge summary: 'A 54-year-old man presented with…'. Also common in textbooks: 'The disease often presents with fatigue.' The noun is presentation.
Examples
A 62-year-old woman presented with sudden chest pain and sweating.
Children with this condition often present with a limp rather than pain.
He presented to the emergency department with a two-day history of vomiting.
Usage note
Do not translate 'başvurdu' as 'applied': 'He applied to the hospital with chest pain' sounds wrong. Say 'presented with' in writing or 'came in with' in speech.
Common phrases
present with a history of · present to the emergency department · clinical presentation · atypical presentation
The part of a consultation where the doctor looks at, feels, taps and listens to the patient's body to find signs of disease.
Where you use it
Often shortened to 'exam' (US) or 'examination' (UK), and written O/E (on examination) in notes. Doctors examine a patient, perform or carry out an examination, and record the findings.
Examples
Physical examination was unremarkable apart from mild tenderness in the right lower abdomen.
I'd like to do a quick physical examination. Could you lie back on the couch?
Usage note
'Unremarkable' in notes means normal, with nothing worth mentioning. It says nothing negative about the patient.
Common phrases
perform a physical examination · on examination · examination findings · unremarkable examination
The basic body measurements checked to see how ill a patient is: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, and often oxygen level.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to 'vitals', or 'obs' (observations) in the UK. Nurses record them on a chart; doctors ask 'What are her vitals?' and check whether they are stable or getting worse.
Examples
Her vital signs are stable, but she's still in a lot of pain.
Recheck his vital signs every hour and call me if his pressure drops.
Common phrases
check vital signs · record the vitals · stable vital signs · abnormal vital signs
The force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries, measured in millimetres of mercury and given as two numbers, for example 120/80.
Where you use it
Shortened to BP in notes and speech. The two numbers are the systolic and diastolic pressure and are read aloud as '120 over 80'. You take, check, measure or monitor someone's blood pressure.
Examples
Her blood pressure is 150 over 95, so we'll recheck it at the end of the visit.
Could you take his blood pressure on both arms?
Usage note
English 'tension' means stress or tightness, not blood pressure. Say 'blood pressure' or 'BP' instead of 'tansiyon'.
Common phrases
take someone's blood pressure · high blood pressure · low blood pressure · blood pressure reading · BP cuff
The moment or the way in which a symptom or illness begins, for example suddenly or slowly over several weeks.
Where you use it
A key question in every pain history and part of memory aids such as SOCRATES (Site, Onset, Character…). Doctors describe sudden, gradual, acute or insidious onset.
Examples
The onset of the headache was sudden, like being hit on the back of the head.
Patients with new-onset diabetes may not notice any symptoms.
Common phrases
sudden onset · gradual onset · time of onset · new-onset · age of onset
A harmful reaction of the immune system to something that is normally harmless, such as a medicine, a food or pollen.
Where you use it
Every history and prescription includes drug allergies. Doctors ask 'Do you have any allergies?', record the reaction (rash, swelling, anaphylaxis) and write NKDA (no known drug allergies) when there are none.
Examples
Does she have any allergies to medicines, like penicillin?
He's allergic to penicillin; it gave him a rash and swollen lips.
Usage note
Use 'allergic to' and 'an allergy to', not 'allergic from' or 'allergy against': 'She is allergic to nuts.'
Common phrases
drug allergy · allergic to · allergic reaction · no known drug allergies · food allergy
To tell a doctor or nurse that you have a particular symptom, such as pain or tiredness.
Where you use it
Very common in notes and handovers: 'Patient complaining of chest pain.' In UK notes the abbreviation is c/o. It reports the symptom neutrally and does not mean the patient is unhappy with the service.
Examples
Bed 6 is complaining of abdominal pain again. Can you have a look?
She complains of tiredness and weight gain over the last few months.
Usage note
'Complain of' reports a symptom; 'complain about' means to express dissatisfaction ('She complained about the waiting time').
In clinical notes, to say that you do not have a particular symptom when the doctor asks about it.
Where you use it
Used in written histories to record negative answers: 'Denies fever, cough or weight loss.' It is a neutral recording style and does not suggest the patient is lying. In speech doctors say 'no fever' or 'She hasn't had any fever.'
Examples
He denies chest pain but reports some shortness of breath on exertion.
Patient denies any recent travel or contact with sick people.
Usage note
Turkish readers may understand 'denies' as 'inkar ediyor' (refuses to admit). In clinical English it simply means 'says no'.
The section of a history that lists a patient's previous and ongoing illnesses, operations and hospital stays.
Where you use it
Written PMH or PMHx in notes, after the history of the presenting complaint. Doctors ask 'Do you have any medical problems?' or 'Have you ever been in hospital?' Operations may be listed separately as past surgical history (PSH).
Examples
Past medical history: type 2 diabetes, hypertension, appendicectomy in 1998.
Her past medical history matters here, because she had a clot in her leg two years ago.
Common phrases
past medical history of · significant past medical history · no past medical history · past surgical history
Information about illnesses in a patient's close relatives, such as parents, brothers and sisters, which may increase the patient's own risk.
Where you use it
Written FH or FHx. Doctors ask 'Does anything run in the family?' and record a positive or strong family history of heart disease, cancer or diabetes, including the relative's age at diagnosis.
Examples
There's a strong family history of heart disease: his father had a heart attack at 48.
Any family history of bowel cancer?
Common phrases
positive family history · strong family history · no relevant family history · family history of
Pain or discomfort that appears when a doctor presses on a part of the body during an examination.
Where you use it
An examination finding written with its location: 'tenderness in the right iliac fossa'. Related terms are guarding and rebound tenderness. The adjective is tender: 'Is it tender here?'
Examples
There's marked tenderness in the right lower abdomen with guarding.
No tenderness over the spine.
Usage note
Pain is what the patient feels anyway; tenderness is pain caused by pressing during the examination. Outside medicine 'tender' also means gentle or soft.
Common phrases
abdominal tenderness · rebound tenderness · point tenderness · tenderness on palpation
To examine part of the body by feeling it carefully with the hands or fingers, for example to check the size of an organ or to find a lump.
Where you use it
Used in examination teaching and notes. The noun is palpation and the adjective palpable: 'The liver is palpable 2 cm below the costal margin.' 'Non-palpable' means it cannot be felt.
Examples
Palpate the abdomen gently, starting away from where it hurts.
I couldn't palpate the pulse in his left foot.
Usage note
Do not confuse palpate (to feel with the hands) with palpitate (of the heart, to beat fast or irregularly).
Common phrases
palpate the abdomen · palpable mass · on palpation · palpate for lymph nodes
The percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen, usually measured with a clip on the finger; in healthy adults it is usually 95% or higher.
Where you use it
Called 'sats' or 'O2 sats' in hospital speech, and written SpO2 when measured with a pulse oximeter. Doctors give oxygen to keep saturations within a target range, which is lower for some patients with COPD.
Examples
Her oxygen saturation is 89% on room air, so let's start her on oxygen.
Oxygen saturations improved to 96% on two litres.
Common phrases
oxygen saturation on room air · sats · target saturation · drop in oxygen saturation
The regular beat of the heart that you can feel where an artery is close to the skin, such as at the wrist or neck.
Where you use it
Doctors and nurses 'take' or 'check' the pulse and describe its rate, rhythm and strength: 'pulse 88, regular'. Common phrases are radial pulse (wrist), carotid pulse (neck), and a 'thready' (weak) or 'bounding' (strong) pulse.
Examples
Her pulse is 110 and irregular, so let's get an ECG.
How hot the body is, measured with a thermometer; patients and doctors also say someone 'has a temperature' when it is higher than normal.
Where you use it
One of the vital signs. Nurses 'take' or 'check' a temperature, usually in the ear, mouth or armpit. The UK uses degrees Celsius; in the US Fahrenheit is common. 'Spike a temperature' means it suddenly goes up.
Examples
He spiked a temperature of 39.2 overnight, so we sent blood cultures.
Has your little girl had a temperature today?
Usage note
'He has a temperature' means he has a fever, much like the Turkish 'ateşi var'.
Common phrases
take someone's temperature · high temperature · spike a temperature · body temperature · temperature chart
The number of breaths a person takes per minute, counted while they are resting; it is one of the vital signs.
Where you use it
Recorded as 'RR' on observation charts. A raised respiratory rate is an early and sensitive sign that a patient is unwell, yet it is often the vital sign measured least carefully. Doctors count it for a full 30 or 60 seconds without telling the patient.
Examples
His respiratory rate is 28 and his sats are dropping.
The respiratory rate was recorded as 16, which is within the normal range.
Common phrases
raised respiratory rate · count the respiratory rate · respiratory rate of 20 · normal respiratory rate
The part of the history about the patient's life outside illness: home, work, smoking, alcohol, drug use, daily activities and support.
Where you use it
Written as 'SH' in notes. Doctors record smoking in pack-years, alcohol in units per week (UK), occupation, who the patient lives with and whether they manage stairs and shopping. It matters a lot when planning discharge.
Examples
In terms of social history, she lives alone in a second-floor flat and is a retired teacher.
Let me ask a few social history questions: do you smoke or drink alcohol?
Common phrases
take a social history · social history questions · relevant social history
The part of the history that lists every medicine a patient takes, including over-the-counter and herbal products, plus any drug allergies.
Where you use it
Written as 'DH' in UK notes; US colleagues often say 'medication history' or 'meds'. Doctors record each drug with dose and frequency and compare it with the GP list or the patient's boxes (medicines reconciliation).
Examples
Her drug history includes warfarin, so we need to check her INR.
Taking a full drug history is essential before you prescribe anything new.
Usage note
Here 'drug' means medicine. To ask about illegal drugs, doctors say 'recreational drugs' in the social history.
Common phrases
take a drug history · full drug history · drug history and allergies
A quick set of questions about each body system, asked near the end of the history to catch symptoms the patient has not mentioned.
Where you use it
Called ROS in the US and 'systems review' or 'systemic enquiry' in the UK. Doctors go through the general, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, neurological and other systems with short closed questions.
Examples
The review of systems was otherwise negative.
On review of systems, he mentioned some ankle swelling he hadn't thought was important.
Common phrases
do a review of systems · brief review of systems · otherwise negative review of systems
To listen to sounds inside the body, especially the heart, lungs and bowel, with a stethoscope.
Where you use it
Part of the standard sequence: inspect, palpate, percuss, auscultate. The noun auscultation is more common in notes ('on auscultation, crackles at the left base'). With patients, doctors simply say 'I'm going to listen to your chest.'
Examples
Auscultate all four valve areas with the diaphragm and then with the bell.
On auscultation there was reduced air entry at the right base.
Usage note
Doctors use the noun 'auscultation' far more than the verb. It is pronounced AW-skul-tate.
Common phrases
auscultate the chest · auscultate the heart · on auscultation · auscultate for bowel sounds
An extra whooshing sound heard over the heart with a stethoscope, caused by turbulent blood flow, often through a narrow or leaking valve.
Where you use it
Doctors describe a murmur by timing (systolic or diastolic), site, loudness (graded 1 to 6) and radiation, for example 'an ejection systolic murmur radiating to the carotids' in aortic stenosis. Some murmurs in children are innocent, meaning harmless.
Examples
There's a loud systolic murmur at the apex.
We'll arrange an echocardiogram to look at the murmur we heard.
Short for body mass index: weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres, used to classify a person's weight.
Where you use it
Recorded in clinic and before surgery. In adults 18.5–24.9 is the healthy range, 25–29.9 overweight and 30 or more obese, although BMI does not show muscle mass or where fat is stored. Doctors say 'a BMI of 32', not 'a BMI 32'.
Examples
His BMI is 34, which puts him in the obese range.
We need an up-to-date weight and BMI before the operation.
Usage note
Say the letters one by one in English: bee-em-eye.
A high-pitched whistling sound made when air moves through narrowed airways, usually heard when breathing out.
Where you use it
Typical of asthma and COPD, but also heard in anaphylaxis and heart failure. Doctors write 'widespread expiratory wheeze' in examination notes. Patients say 'wheezy' or 'my chest is whistling'. It is also a verb: 'he's wheezing'.
Examples
On auscultation there is a widespread expiratory wheeze.
Normal, with nothing unusual or worrying found; used in examination notes and test reports.
Where you use it
Very common in written reports: 'CT head unremarkable', 'the rest of the examination was unremarkable'. In speech doctors also say 'normal' or 'nothing of note'.
Examples
Cardiovascular and respiratory examination was unremarkable.
Her chest X-ray is unremarkable.
Usage note
In everyday English 'unremarkable' means ordinary or dull; in medicine it is a neutral, reassuring word.
The decision about which disease or condition is causing a patient's problems, reached after taking a history, examining the patient and doing tests.
Where you use it
Doctors make, reach or confirm a diagnosis; a patient receives a diagnosis or is diagnosed with a disease. In notes it is often shortened to Dx. The plural is diagnoses.
Examples
The diagnosis was confirmed by a biopsy.
He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago.
We don't have a clear diagnosis yet, so we're waiting for the scan results.
Usage note
When the patient is the subject, use 'diagnosed with': 'She was diagnosed with asthma', not 'She was diagnosed asthma'. The verb is diagnose.
Common phrases
make a diagnosis · confirm the diagnosis · working diagnosis · be diagnosed with · early diagnosis
To show with a history, an examination or a test that a patient does not have a particular disease, so it can be removed from the list of possibilities.
Where you use it
Heard on every ward round: 'We need to rule out a PE.' Often written R/O in US notes. The opposite is 'rule in'. The object can go in the middle: 'rule it out'.
Examples
We did a CT scan to rule out a bleed in the brain.
A normal troponin this early doesn't completely rule out a heart attack.
Infection was ruled out, so we're now looking for an autoimmune cause.
Usage note
Turkish doctors say 'ekarte etmek', from French. In English the everyday clinical form is 'rule out'; 'exclude' is the formal written equivalent.
Common phrases
rule out infection · rule out a fracture · rule in · ruled out by
A laboratory check of a blood sample, taken from a vein or a fingertip, to measure things like blood cells, sugar, salts or markers of infection.
Where you use it
Doctors order, request or send blood tests and then chase the results. On UK wards people simply say 'bloods': 'Have the bloods come back?' Taking the sample is called drawing blood or venepuncture.
Examples
I'll order some blood tests to check your kidneys and thyroid.
His blood tests showed a raised white cell count.
Usage note
Turkish 'tahlil' is 'test' in English; do not say 'analysis' for a routine blood test. 'Blood work' (US) and 'bloods' (UK) are common informal forms.
Common phrases
order a blood test · routine blood tests · blood test results · repeat the bloods
An image of the inside of the body made with a type of radiation that passes through soft tissue but is blocked by bone and other dense structures.
Where you use it
Doctors request an X-ray and the radiographer takes it. Common types are the chest X-ray (CXR) and X-rays of injured limbs. The word is also a verb: 'We'll X-ray your wrist.'
Examples
The chest X-ray shows consolidation in the right lower lobe.
We'll X-ray your ankle to make sure nothing is broken.
Usage note
Turkish 'akciğer grafisi' is 'chest X-ray', not 'lung graphy'; 'graphy' is not a word on its own in English. 'Roentgen' is only used as a unit or a name.
Common phrases
chest X-ray · order an X-ray · X-ray findings · take an X-ray
Short for electrocardiogram: a test that records the heart's electrical activity using small sticky pads placed on the chest, arms and legs.
Where you use it
One of the first tests for chest pain, palpitations or fainting. Doctors do, record or request an ECG and then read or interpret it, describing the rhythm and any changes such as ST elevation.
Examples
Get a 12-lead ECG on him straight away.
Her ECG showed atrial fibrillation with a fast ventricular rate.
Usage note
US English often uses EKG, from the German spelling. Both forms are understood everywhere.
Common phrases
12-lead ECG · do an ECG · interpret an ECG · ECG changes · resting ECG
A scan that uses X-rays taken from many angles and a computer to build detailed cross-section pictures of the body. CT stands for computed tomography.
Where you use it
Doctors request a CT scan, often 'a CT of the head' or 'a CT abdomen', with or without contrast. In speech people just say 'CT' or 'scan': 'She's gone for her CT.' Older patients may say CAT scan.
Examples
The CT scan of his head showed no bleeding.
We'll need a CT scan with contrast to look at the pancreas properly.
Usage note
'Tomografi çektirmek' is 'have a CT scan' in English and 'tomografi çekmek' is 'do a CT'. 'Tomography' on its own is rarely said in clinics.
Common phrases
CT scan with contrast · request a CT scan · CT head · CT findings
A list of the possible diseases that could explain a patient's symptoms and signs, which the doctor narrows down with tests and more questions.
Where you use it
Written DDx in notes. Students are asked 'What's your differential?' on ward rounds; the answer usually starts with the most likely or the most dangerous cause. 'Differentials' is the informal plural.
Examples
The differential diagnosis includes pneumonia, pulmonary embolism and heart failure.
Pulmonary embolism should be high on your differential diagnosis for this patient.
Common phrases
broad differential diagnosis · narrow the differential · top of the differential · consider in the differential
A doctor's opinion about how an illness is likely to develop and what the chances of recovery or survival are.
Where you use it
Described as good, poor, guarded or excellent. Doctors discuss prognosis with patients and families, often in difficult conversations. The adjective is prognostic, as in 'prognostic factors'.
Examples
With early treatment, the prognosis is excellent.
The family asked us about his prognosis after the second stroke.
Usage note
Diagnosis answers 'What is it?'; prognosis answers 'What will happen?'. The plural is prognoses.
A test or examination, such as a blood test or a scan, done to find the cause of a patient's problem or to check their condition.
Where you use it
Usually plural in British clinical English: 'Investigations: FBC, U&E, chest X-ray.' Doctors request, arrange or chase investigations. The verb is common too: 'We need to investigate this further.'
Examples
What investigations would you like to do first?
All her investigations so far have been normal.
Usage note
Turkish 'tetkik' is close to 'investigations' (UK) or 'tests' and 'workup' (US). In everyday English 'investigation' also means a police inquiry.
Common phrases
further investigations · request investigations · first-line investigations · results of investigations
A scan that uses high-frequency sound waves to make live pictures of organs, blood vessels or a baby in the womb, without using radiation.
Where you use it
Doctors request an ultrasound scan of the abdomen, pelvis or neck; in pregnancy patients just say 'the scan'. Bedside ultrasound (POCUS) is now often done by emergency doctors themselves.
Examples
The ultrasound showed several gallstones but no inflammation.
We'll do an ultrasound of your neck to look at the thyroid.
Short for magnetic resonance imaging: a scan that uses a strong magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures, especially of the brain, spine, joints and soft tissues.
Where you use it
Doctors request an MRI or MRI scan of a body part ('an MRI of the lumbar spine'). Before the scan, patients are checked for pacemakers and metal implants. It takes longer than CT, and some patients feel claustrophobic.
Examples
The MRI showed a disc bulge pressing on the nerve root.
Do you have a pacemaker or any metal in your body? We need to know before the MRI.
Usage note
Turkish 'MR çektirmek' is 'have an MRI (scan)'. In English 'MR' on its own appears mostly in radiologists' technical terms.
Common phrases
MRI scan · brain MRI · MRI with contrast · request an MRI
The removal of a small piece of tissue from the body so that it can be examined under a microscope, often to check for cancer.
Where you use it
Doctors take or perform a biopsy, send it to the lab and wait for the histology. Types include needle, skin and endoscopic biopsy. It is also a verb: 'The lesion was biopsied.'
Examples
We took a biopsy during the endoscopy, and the results will take about a week.
The biopsy confirmed a benign lesion.
Common phrases
take a biopsy · needle biopsy · biopsy results · skin biopsy
The amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood at a given moment; it is checked to diagnose and monitor diabetes.
Where you use it
Measured in a lab or with a finger-prick meter at the bedside (capillary blood glucose, CBG). Doctors speak of fasting and random blood glucose; patients say 'blood sugar'. Units differ: mmol/L in the UK and mg/dL in the US and Turkey.
Examples
Check her blood glucose before you do anything else; she's diabetic and drowsy.
Your fasting blood glucose is higher than normal, so we'll repeat the test.
Usage note
A UK value of 5.5 mmol/L is about 100 mg/dL. Always say the unit when you give a number.
Testing people who have no symptoms in order to find a disease or risk early, when treatment is more likely to help.
Where you use it
Used for programmes such as breast, cervical and bowel cancer screening, newborn screening and screening for diabetes. People are 'invited for' or 'offered' screening. A positive screening test usually needs a further diagnostic test.
Examples
She was called for breast screening at the age of 50.
Screening picked up the cancer before it caused any symptoms.
Common phrases
cancer screening · screening programme · screening test · newborn screening · be invited for screening
A test of a urine sample, either with a dipstick at the bedside or in the lab, to look for blood, protein, sugar, signs of infection and other changes.
Where you use it
On the ward people often say 'urine dip' or 'dipstick'; a midstream urine sample (MSU) may be sent for microscopy and culture. Reports mention leucocytes, nitrites, blood, protein and glucose.
Examples
Urinalysis showed nitrites and leucocytes, consistent with infection.
Can we get a urinalysis and a pregnancy test before the scan?
The facts discovered by examining a patient or doing a test, such as a sound heard in the chest or a shadow on an X-ray.
Where you use it
Usually plural. Doctors talk about examination, clinical and imaging findings, and say findings are 'consistent with' or 'suggestive of' a diagnosis. An 'incidental finding' is something found by chance while looking for something else.
Examples
These findings are consistent with right lower lobe pneumonia.
Let me summarise my findings: the abdomen is soft but tender in the right iliac fossa.
Usage note
Turkish 'bulgu' covers both 'sign' and 'finding': use 'signs' for what you notice on the body and 'findings' for results in general, including tests.
Common phrases
clinical findings · examination findings · incidental finding · findings are consistent with · key findings
A group of blood tests, such as ALT, ALP, bilirubin and albumin, that show whether the liver is inflamed, blocked or working poorly.
Where you use it
Shortened to LFTs and requested with routine bloods. Doctors describe the pattern as hepatitic (mainly raised ALT/AST) or cholestatic (mainly raised ALP/GGT). Strictly, most of these tests show liver damage rather than function.
Examples
His liver function tests are deranged, with an ALT of over 400.
We'll repeat the liver function tests a month after stopping the drug.
Usage note
British doctors call abnormal results 'deranged'. It sounds strange to many learners, but it is standard on the ward.
Common phrases
deranged liver function tests · abnormal liver function tests · repeat liver function tests · check liver function tests
A protein released into the blood when heart muscle is damaged; a blood test for it helps doctors diagnose a heart attack.
Where you use it
Most hospitals use high-sensitivity troponin and take two samples a few hours apart to look for a rise. Doctors say troponin is 'raised', 'negative' or 'rising'. A raised troponin is not specific: sepsis, PE and kidney disease can also increase it.
Examples
Her first troponin is normal; we'll repeat it in three hours.
A rising troponin with ST changes on the ECG is consistent with a myocardial infarction.
A test in which blood is put into special bottles and incubated to see whether bacteria or fungi are growing in the bloodstream.
Where you use it
Usually plural: 'take' or 'send blood cultures', ideally before antibiotics are started. Results come back as 'no growth' or 'positive', with the organism and its sensitivities. Skin bacteria can contaminate the sample, so careful technique matters.
Examples
Please take two sets of blood cultures before starting the antibiotics.
His blood cultures grew E. coli.
Common phrases
take blood cultures · positive blood culture · blood culture bottles · sets of blood cultures
An ultrasound scan of the heart that shows its chambers, valves and how strongly it pumps.
Where you use it
Usually just called an 'echo'. The standard test is transthoracic (TTE, probe on the chest); a transoesophageal echo (TOE, US TEE) uses a probe passed into the food pipe. Reports give the ejection fraction and describe any valve problems.
Examples
The echocardiogram shows an ejection fraction of 35%.
We've booked you an echocardiogram to look at your heart valves.
Usage note
Do not mix up the ECG (electrical activity) and the echo (an ultrasound picture). They are often ordered together.
A procedure in which a thin, flexible tube with a camera is passed into the body, usually through the mouth, to look inside and take samples.
Where you use it
In everyday hospital talk 'endoscopy' or 'an OGD' (US: EGD) means looking at the food pipe, stomach and duodenum. Colonoscopy is the lower version. Patients are usually offered sedation or a throat spray, and biopsies can be taken.
Examples
The endoscopy showed a bleeding ulcer in the duodenum.
She's on the list for an urgent endoscopy tomorrow morning.
Common phrases
upper GI endoscopy · urgent endoscopy · endoscopy unit · have an endoscopy
The most likely diagnosis at a given moment, used to guide tests and treatment until it is confirmed or changed.
Where you use it
Doctors state a working diagnosis in handovers, notes and case presentations, often followed by a differential diagnosis. Provisional diagnosis means much the same. The term shows that the team is still open to other explanations.
Examples
Our working diagnosis is community-acquired pneumonia, but we're also considering a PE.
The scan didn't support the working diagnosis, so we went back to the history.
Common phrases
working diagnosis of · revise the working diagnosis · current working diagnosis
The span of test values found in most healthy people, against which a patient's result is compared.
Where you use it
Lab reports print a reference range next to each result. Doctors say a value is within, above or below the normal range, or 'within normal limits' (WNL). Ranges vary between labs, ages and sexes, and a value just outside the range is not always abnormal.
Examples
Your thyroid results are all within the normal range.
Her potassium is slightly above the normal range, so we'll repeat it.
Common phrases
within the normal range · outside the normal range · above the normal range · reference range
Lasting a long time, usually more than three months, or coming back again and again; used for diseases that are controlled rather than cured.
Where you use it
Common in diagnoses (chronic kidney disease, chronic pain) and in talk about long-term care. Doctors speak of chronic conditions, chronic disease management and patients with several chronic conditions.
Examples
He has chronic kidney disease and sees the renal team every six months.
Chronic pain affects sleep, mood and work, not just the body.
Usage note
In informal British English 'chronic' can also mean 'very bad' ('The traffic was chronic'). This meaning never appears in clinical writing.
An illness or health problem, especially a long-term one; also the general state of a patient's health at a particular time.
Where you use it
A softer, more neutral word than disease, often used with patients: 'a heart condition', 'a skin condition'. In hospital updates it describes how ill someone is: 'in a stable condition', 'in a critical condition'.
Examples
Do you have any medical conditions we should know about?
The driver is in a critical condition in intensive care.
Asthma is a common condition in children.
Usage note
False friend: Turkish 'kondisyon' means physical fitness. In medicine English 'condition' means an illness or the patient's general state.
Common phrases
medical condition · heart condition · chronic condition · in a stable condition · underlying condition
An illness caused when bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites enter the body and multiply.
Where you use it
One of the most common reasons for admission. Doctors talk about the source of infection, signs of infection and infection markers such as CRP. Patients pick up, catch or develop an infection; wounds become infected.
Examples
We haven't found the source of infection yet, so we've sent urine and blood cultures.
A chest infection is the most likely cause of his confusion.
Common phrases
chest infection · urinary tract infection · source of infection · signs of infection · infection markers
Blood pressure that stays higher than normal over time, which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney disease.
Where you use it
Doctors say hypertension (HTN in notes); patients usually say 'high blood pressure'. It is diagnosed, treated and controlled, and a patient may be described as hypertensive.
Examples
He was diagnosed with hypertension last year and started on a single tablet.
Is your hypertension well controlled at home?
Usage note
Do not mix up hypertension (high blood pressure) and hypotension (low blood pressure); say the 'hy-per' part clearly.
Common phrases
essential hypertension · uncontrolled hypertension · treat hypertension · history of hypertension
A long-term disease in which the body cannot control blood sugar properly, because it makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.
Where you use it
Usually means diabetes mellitus, type 1 or type 2. Doctors check HbA1c to see how well it is controlled. Many clinicians now prefer 'a person with diabetes' to 'a diabetic'.
Examples
Her diabetes is well controlled on metformin.
Patients with type 1 diabetes need insulin from the time of diagnosis.
Sudden damage to part of the brain caused by a blocked blood vessel or by bleeding, which can cause weakness, speech problems or loss of vision.
Where you use it
A medical emergency handled by stroke teams. Doctors distinguish ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, and the FAST test (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) teaches the public the warning signs. The formal term is CVA.
Examples
She had a stroke two years ago and still has some weakness in her left hand.
Call the stroke team: he's got right-sided weakness that started 40 minutes ago.
Usage note
Turkish often uses 'felç' (paralysis) for a stroke, but in English 'paralysis' is only one possible result. The stroke is the event itself: 'She had a stroke.'
Common phrases
have a stroke · acute stroke · ischemic stroke · stroke unit · stroke team
Death of part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is suddenly blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery; the medical name for a heart attack.
Where you use it
Abbreviated MI. Doctors classify it as STEMI or NSTEMI according to the ECG. With patients and families they usually say 'heart attack'.
Examples
He had a myocardial infarction in 2019 and has two stents.
The ECG and troponin confirmed an acute myocardial infarction.
Usage note
A heart attack (MI) is not the same as cardiac arrest, when the heart stops pumping. An MI can lead to cardiac arrest, but the terms are not interchangeable.
Common phrases
acute myocardial infarction · previous myocardial infarction · STEMI · rule out MI
An infection of the lungs in which the small air sacs fill with fluid or pus, causing cough, fever and difficulty breathing.
Where you use it
Doctors specify the type, such as community-acquired or hospital-acquired pneumonia, and the side and lobe affected. It is diagnosed with examination, a chest X-ray and blood tests.
Examples
Her chest X-ray confirmed right lower lobe pneumonia.
Elderly patients with pneumonia may present with confusion rather than cough.
A break or crack in a bone, caused by an injury or by bone that has become weak.
Where you use it
Used in emergency medicine and orthopedics. Doctors describe the bone, the site and the type: displaced, open, closed or stress fracture. It is also a verb: 'She fractured her wrist.'
Examples
The X-ray shows a displaced fracture of the distal radius.
He fractured his hip after a fall at home.
Usage note
A fracture and a break are the same thing. Some patients think a fracture is less serious than a break; it is not.
Common phrases
hip fracture · displaced fracture · open fracture · stress fracture · fracture clinic
A long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should, often causing breathlessness, tiredness and swollen ankles.
Where you use it
Doctors talk about acute or chronic heart failure, its severity (NYHA class) and the ejection fraction on the echo. Common phrases: 'decompensated heart failure', 'heart failure nurse', 'heart failure clinic'.
Examples
He was admitted with decompensated heart failure and needed IV diuretics.
Heart failure is a common cause of ankle swelling in older patients.
Usage note
Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped. That is cardiac arrest, a different emergency.
A long-term lung condition in which the airways become narrow and inflamed, causing wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath that can come and go.
Where you use it
Patients 'have asthma' and use inhalers; doctors discuss triggers, asthma control and asthma attacks (exacerbations). 'Asthmatic' describes a person with asthma, though 'person with asthma' is often preferred.
Examples
Her asthma gets worse in spring because of pollen.
He came in with an acute asthma attack and could only speak in short phrases.
Short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a long-term lung disease, usually caused by smoking, in which damaged airways make it hard to breathe out.
Where you use it
Includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Doctors talk about COPD exacerbations, spirometry results and the patient's smoking history in pack-years. Patients may say 'emphysema' or 'bronchitis' instead.
Examples
He has severe COPD and uses oxygen at home.
This is her third COPD exacerbation since the winter started.
Usage note
The Turkish abbreviation KOAH is not understood in English. Say each letter: C-O-P-D.
Common phrases
COPD exacerbation · severe COPD · COPD patient · history of COPD
A life-threatening reaction to an infection in which the body's response starts to damage its own organs.
Where you use it
A medical emergency with time-critical treatment bundles, such as the 'Sepsis Six' in the UK. Doctors screen for sepsis, treat for sepsis and look for the source. The adjective is septic: 'septic shock'.
Examples
She meets the criteria for sepsis, so she needs antibiotics within the hour.
Sepsis from a urinary source is common in elderly patients.
An abnormal lump or mass of tissue that forms when cells divide more than they should; it can be benign or malignant.
Where you use it
Doctors describe a tumor's size, site and spread, and whether it is primary or secondary. With patients they may first use softer words such as 'growth' or 'lump', but they say clearly when it is cancer.
Examples
The scan shows a 3 cm tumor in the left kidney.
The tumour was removed completely, and the margins were clear.
Usage note
US spelling: tumor. UK spelling: tumour. Both are pronounced the same.
Not cancer and not spreading to other parts of the body; also used for any condition that is not dangerous.
Where you use it
Used for tumors, lumps and biopsy results, and in diagnoses such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Doctors also use it more broadly: 'a benign headache', 'the course was benign'.
Examples
Good news: the biopsy shows the lump is benign.
Most thyroid nodules are benign, but we still need to check this one.
Cancerous, and able to grow into nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body; also used for conditions that are very dangerous.
Where you use it
Used in pathology reports, multidisciplinary meetings and diagnoses such as malignant melanoma. The noun malignancy is often a more careful word for cancer: 'We can't exclude a malignancy.'
Examples
The pathology report confirmed a malignant tumor of the colon.
Unintentional weight loss in this age group raises concern for malignancy.
A word ending added to the name of a body part to mean inflammation of that part, as in tonsillitis, appendicitis or arthritis.
Where you use it
One of the most useful word parts in medicine. If you know the root (hepat- liver, gastr- stomach, derm- skin), you can understand hepatitis, gastritis and dermatitis. Inflammation is not always caused by infection.
Examples
Her pain was caused by appendicitis, and she went to theatre the same night.
Tonsillitis is very common in children and is usually viral.
Usage note
In English the ending sounds like 'EYE-tis': appendicitis is a-pen-di-SY-tis. Turkish shortens the ending to -it (apandisit, gastrit).
A disease in which abnormal cells grow out of control, can destroy nearby tissue and may spread to other parts of the body.
Where you use it
Named after the organ where it starts: breast, lung, bowel (colorectal) or prostate cancer. Doctors talk about early and advanced cancer, staging and treatment; in notes they may write 'Ca' or use 'malignancy'. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, they use the word clearly with the patient.
Examples
Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death in many countries.
I'm afraid the biopsy shows that this is cancer.
Usage note
Say 'He has cancer' with no article, but 'a cancer' for one particular type: 'a rare cancer of the eye'.
Common phrases
breast cancer · lung cancer · cancer screening · advanced cancer · be diagnosed with cancer
An infection anywhere in the system that makes and carries urine, most often the bladder; it usually causes burning and frequent urination.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to UTI. Doctors separate lower UTI (cystitis, in the bladder) from upper UTI (pyelonephritis, in the kidney). A urine dipstick and culture are the usual tests. In older patients a UTI may show up as new confusion.
Examples
She has had three urinary tract infections this year, so we'll refer her to urology.
Burning when passing urine is a typical symptom of a urinary tract infection.
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn medicine vocabulary
Learn each term together with the plain word patients use: myocardial infarction and heart attack, hypertension and high blood pressure, analgesic and painkiller.
Read real medical texts every week, such as case reports, journal abstracts, guideline summaries and patient leaflets, and notice how phrases like 'presented with', 'ruled out' and 'was discharged' are used.
Learn the Greek and Latin building blocks (-itis, -ectomy, cardi-, hepat-, gastr-): one root helps you understand dozens of new words.
Practise a full history out loud in English, from 'What brings you in today?' to questions about onset, radiation and allergies, as if you were in an OSCE station.
Keep a list of false friends from Turkish, such as poliklinik, asistan, servis, serum, kontrol and reçete, and check it before you speak or write.
Frequently asked questions
How can I learn medical English vocabulary quickly?
Study by topic rather than alphabetically, and learn each term with the words it is used with ('take a history', 'rule out a fracture'). Read real texts in your field every day, such as case reports, discharge summaries and journal abstracts, and reuse the new words when you present a patient or write notes. Short daily practice works better than long sessions before an exam.
Which medical terms should I learn first?
Start with the words you need in every patient encounter: symptoms and signs, history-taking phrases (chief complaint, onset, allergies), vital signs, common tests (blood tests, X-ray, ECG, CT), the most common diseases and the language of the ward (admit, discharge, referral, handover). The first tier of this list covers exactly these.
Is medical English different in the UK and the US?
The core vocabulary is the same, but some everyday hospital words differ: A&E and ER, consultant and attending, operating theatre and operating room, full blood count and complete blood count, nil by mouth and NPO. Spelling differs too (tumour/tumor, oedema/edema, anaemia/anemia). Choose one style for your own writing and learn to recognise both.
Do I need to know Latin to understand medical English?
No. You do not need to study Latin, but knowing common Greek and Latin roots, prefixes and suffixes makes long terms much easier to decode. Remember too that English-speaking doctors use many plain words (bloods, scan, painkiller), and patients use even simpler ones.
How do doctors explain medical terms to English-speaking patients?
They use lay terms and short sentences, and check understanding by asking the patient to explain the plan back in their own words. They say 'high blood pressure' rather than 'hypertension' and 'a heart attack' rather than 'an MI'. Learning both the technical and the everyday word for each term is the best preparation.
