Medical English Vocabulary (Professional English in Use - Medicine)

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering medical terminology, clinical signs, symptoms, anatomy, and healthcare procedures from Units 1 to 60 of Professional English in Use - Medicine.

To get over (an illness)

Se remettre d'une maladie (to recover from an illness).

Remission

Rémission ; a period during which symptoms of a disease lessen or disappear (e.g., in complete remission).

Axilla

Armpit (aisselle).

Umbilicus

Navel or belly button (nombril).

Patella

Kneecap (rotule).

Gall bladder

Vésicule biliaire ; the organ situated near the liver that stores bile.

Back passage

Patient-friendly colloquial term for the rectum or anus.

Gait

Démarche ; the manner or style of walking.

Micturition

Urination ; the act of passing urine or passing water.

Dysphagia

Difficulté à avaler (difficulty in swallowing).

Diplopia

Vision double (double vision).

General practitioner (GP)

Family doctor ; médecin généraliste who provides primary medical care in a practice or health centre.

Pre-registration house officer (PRHO)

House officer ; interne de 1re année in the UK medical training system (now Foundation Year 1 / FY1).

To clerk (a patient)

Recueillir l'histoire médicale ; to take a full medical history and examine a newly admitted patient.

Occupational therapist (OT)

Ergothérapeute ; an allied health professional who assists patients with daily living skills and managing disabilities.

Podiatrist / Chiropodist

Podologue ; a health specialist who diagnoses and treats conditions of the feet.

Casualty / Accident and Emergency (A&E)

Urgences ; the hospital department that manages acutely ill or injured walk-in and emergency admissions.

Locum

Médecin remplaçant ; a substitute doctor who temporarily stands in for an absent medical practitioner.

Presenting complaint (c/o)

Motif de consultation ; the primary symptom or issue a patient reports when seeking medical attention.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

Vitesse de sédimentation ; a blood test marker indicative of inflammation in the body.

Pernicious anaemia (PA)

Anémie pernicieuse ; an anaemia caused by vitamin B12 malabsorption due to atrophy of gastric mucosa and intrinsic factor deficiency.

Greenstick fracture

Fracture en bois vert ; an incomplete fracture commonly seen in children where one side of the bone bends and the other breaks.

Comminuted fracture

Fracture comminutive ; a bone break that results in three or more separate fragments.

Malunion

Cal vicieux ; the healing of a fractured bone in an incorrect, faulty, or deformed anatomical position.

Milestones

Étapes du développement ; developmental markers in infants and children (such as sitting, crawling, first words, and walking).

Failure to thrive

Retard de croissance ; insufficient weight gain or inappropriate physical development in infants and children.

Goitre

An enlargement of the thyroid gland, which may be diffuse or localized with solitary nodules.

Bruit

Souffle vasculaire ; an abnormal sound heard on auscultation caused by turbulent blood flow in an artery or vascular organ.

Ptosis

Drooping of the upper eyelid (affaissement ou chute de la paupière supérieure).

Strabismus (squint)

Strabisme ; a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with each other.

Nystagmus

Involuntary, rhythmic oscillation of the eyes (oscillations involontaires des yeux).

Shifting dullness

Matité déclive ; a clinical sign detected by percussion of the abdomen indicating the presence of free peritoneal fluid (ascites).

Rebound tenderness

Douleur à la décompression ; pain elicited upon the sudden release of deep abdominal palpation, indicative of peritoneal irritation.

Melaena

Méléna ; the passage of dark, black, tarry faeces caused by digested blood originating from upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Menarche

Premières règles ; the onset of the first menstrual period at puberty.

Menorrhagia

Règles abondantes ; abnormally heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding.

Dysmenorrhoea

Règles douloureuses ; painful cramps associated with menstruation.

Orthopnoea

Orthopnée ; shortness of breath that worsens when lying flat and is relieved by propping up with pillows.

SOBOE

Shortness of breath on exertion (essoufflement à l'effort).

Clubbing

Hippocratisme digital ; bulbous swelling of the soft tissue of the terminal phalanges of the fingers.

Apex beat

Choc de pointe ; the point of maximum cardiac impulse felt on the chest wall, typically in the 5th intercostal space at the midclavicular line.

Jugular venous pressure (JVP)

Pression veineuse jugulaire ; an indirect measurement of central venous pressure observed via the internal jugular vein.

PUO

Pyrexia of unknown origin (fièvre d'origine inconnue).

Rigors

Frissons solennels ; severe, shaking chills accompanied by a rapid rise in body temperature.

Delusions

Délires ; fixed, unshakeable false beliefs inconsistent with the individual's cultural and educational background.

Tinnitus

Acouphènes ; ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds perceived in the ear without external sound stimuli.

Babinski response

Signe de Babinski ; dorsiflexion (upgoing) of the big toe upon stimulation of the sole of the foot, indicative of upper motor neuron lesions.

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

Échelle de Glasgow ; a neurological tool assessing consciousness through eye opening, verbal response, and motor response.

Metastasis

Métastase ; the secondary spread of malignant cells from a primary tumour to distant organs or tissues.

Expected date of delivery (EDD)

Date prévue d'accouchement ; the estimated target date for the spontaneous birth of a fetus.

Crackles

Crépitants ; short, explosive, non-musical sounds heard on lung auscultation (e.g., early inspiratory crackles).

Macule

Macule ; a flat, distinct, discoloured area of skin that does not involve any change in the thickness or texture of the skin.

Papule

Papule ; a small, raised, solid pimple or swelling on the skin.

Decubitus ulcer

Pressure sore / bedsore (escarre) ; localized skin damage caused by sustained pressure and friction over bony prominences.

Midstream specimen of urine (MSU)

ECBU (milieu de jet) ; a urine sample collected mid-urination to minimize contamination from external commensal flora.

IMRaD

The standard structure of scientific research papers: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.

Confounding factors

Facteurs de confusion ; extraneous variables in a research study that distort the true association between the exposure and outcome.

NAD

No abnormality detected (rien à signaler) ; clinical abbreviation used when physical examination or testing shows normal results.