English–Spanish medical glossary: words with more than one translation

This glossary is not a full dictionary. It collects the words that, in real medical calls from English to Spanish, change translation depending on context, or that look like a Spanish word that means something else. That is where a mistake goes unnoticed by both the provider and the patient.

Each entry gives the usual translation in U.S. medical interpreting and a hint for choosing. We checked it against MedlinePlus in Spanish (U.S. National Library of Medicine) and the official CMS glossary of health coverage terms in Spanish. If a different word is used in the patient's country, use it: what matters is that the patient understands.

Hospital, visits and paperwork

discharge: «alta» when the patient leaves the hospital (discharge instructions = instrucciones de alta). «Secreción» or «flujo» when it is something coming out of a wound, the ear or the vagina (vaginal discharge = flujo vaginal).
admit, admission: «ingresar» or «hospitalizar» (she was admitted = quedó ingresada). On a form, «admisión».
chart: «expediente» or «historia clínica». It can also be a graph (growth chart = curva de crecimiento).
floor: «piso» or «planta» of the hospital. «Back to the floor» usually means leaving intensive care or surgery and returning to the unit.
provider: «proveedor de atención médica» in U.S. documents. Talking to the patient, «su médico» or «el personal médico» is sometimes clearer.
referral: «remisión» or «referido» (as CMS and U.S. interpreting use it). «Referencia» is not understood the same way.
physical: «examen físico» or «chequeo» (annual physical = chequeo anual). Physical therapy is «fisioterapia» or «terapia física».
exam: «examen» or «exploración física». Exam room is the «consultorio» or «sala de exploración».

Tests and procedures

culture: «cultivo» in the lab (urine culture = urocultivo; throat culture = cultivo de garganta). Never «cultura».
scope: «endoscopio» for the instrument. «We'll scope you» means an «endoscopia» or a «colonoscopia», depending on the route.
shot: «inyección» or «vacuna», depending on context (flu shot = vacuna contra la influenza).
draw blood: «sacar sangre» or «extraer sangre». A blood draw is «la extracción».
IV: «vía intravenosa» or «suero»; many patients say «me pusieron suero». IV medication = medicamento por vía intravenosa.
dressing: «apósito» or «vendaje» on a wound (change the dressing = cambiar el apósito). Not salad dressing or clothing.
cast: «yeso» («escayola» in Spain).
swab: «hisopo» is the object; «hisopado» is the procedure.
stitches: «puntos» or «puntos de sutura».

Symptoms and the body

stool: «heces» or «excremento» (stool sample = muestra de heces). Outside medicine it is also a «taburete».
sore: «adolorido» as an adjective (sore muscles = músculos adoloridos); sore throat is «dolor de garganta». «A sore» is a «llaga» or «úlcera».
tender: «sensible al tacto» or «le duele al presionar». Tenderness is «dolor a la palpación».
mole: «lunar». Not the animal («topo»).
spotting: «manchado» or light bleeding between periods.
period: «regla» or «menstruación» for the cycle; otherwise a «periodo» of time.
stroke: «derrame cerebral» or «accidente cerebrovascular». Not a «golpe».
seizure: «convulsión» or «crisis convulsiva».
swelling: «hinchazón». «Inflamación» may be heard as something else: check whether the provider means inflammation.
rash: «sarpullido» or «erupción» on the skin.

Pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding

labor: «trabajo de parto» (she is in labor = está en trabajo de parto). Not her job.
delivery: «parto» (vaginal delivery = parto vaginal). Outside the hospital, «entrega».
nursing: «amamantar» or «dar el pecho» (are you nursing? = ¿está amamantando?). It is also «enfermería», and a nursing home is a «hogar de ancianos» or «residencia».
water broke: «se le rompió la fuente» or «rompió aguas».
due date: «fecha probable de parto». On a bill, «fecha de vencimiento».

Medications

refill: «resurtido»; to refill a prescription is «resurtir la receta». That is how MedlinePlus and U.S. pharmacies say it.
fill a prescription: «surtir la receta».
tablet, pill: «tableta», «pastilla» or «comprimido»; use the patient's word.
drug: «medicamento» or «fármaco». «Droga» in Spanish usually means an illegal substance.
over-the-counter: «de venta libre» or «sin receta».

Insurance and bills

U.S. health system terms with no literal equivalent. The translations follow the official CMS glossary in Spanish.

copay: «copago», the fixed amount the patient pays for a service.
deductible: «deducible», what the patient pays before the plan starts paying.
coinsurance: «coseguro», a percentage of the cost of the service.
premium: «prima», what is paid to have the insurance.
claim: «reclamación», the request for payment sent to the insurer. Not a complaint.
prior authorization: «autorización previa».
in-network, out-of-network: «dentro de la red» and «fuera de la red» of the plan's providers.
benefits: «beneficios» or «prestaciones» of the plan.

Look like Spanish, mean something else

The most delicate ones, because they sound like a Spanish word and nobody notices the mistake.

intoxicated: «ebrio» or «bajo los efectos del alcohol». In Spanish, «intoxicado» means poisoned. That confusion is behind the Willie Ramírez case, one of the most cited in medical interpreter training.
constipated: «estreñido». «Constipado», in much of the Spanish-speaking world, means having a cold.
embarrassed: «avergonzado». «Embarazada» means expecting a baby.
severe: «grave» or «intenso» for an illness or pain. «Severo», in general Spanish, is closer to strict or harsh.
molest: «abusar sexualmente». «Molestar» only means to bother: mixing them up is a serious error.
preservative: «conservante». «Preservativo» is a condom.
actually: «en realidad». «Actualmente» means currently.
disorder: «trastorno» (anxiety disorder = trastorno de ansiedad). «Desorden» suggests untidiness.

On your calls

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