Medical English uses fixed pairs: a clinical diagnosis (from examining a patient), a surgical procedure (an operation), and adverse side effects (harmful reactions).
Medical terms travel in fixed pairs
Not "The medication may have bad side effects." — say "The medication may have adverse side effects.". In a medical report, adverse is the formal partner; "bad" is too casual.
Try it: Farid: I'm writing a formal report. How do I say the doctor operated on him? Yasmin: Write that he underwent a ___. Choose the words for the blank. (surgical procedure / operation procedure / surgery procedure) Answer: surgical procedure — Surgical procedure is the fixed pair; "operation procedure" stacks two nouns.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
clinical diagnosis
/ˈklɪnɪkəl ˌdaɪəɡˈnoʊsɪs/
From her symptoms and medical history, the doctor's clinical diagnosis was early arthritis.
surgical procedure
/ˈsɜrdʒɪkəl prəˈsidʒər/
The surgical procedure took three hours but went without complications.
adverse side effects
/ˈædvɜrs ˈsaɪd ɪˌfɛkts/
Patients were warned about the adverse side effects of the new medication.
Describing how illnesses behave
Highly contagious illnesses spread easily between people. A chronic condition lasts a long time; an acute one starts suddenly and is severe.
Not "His acute knee problem has lasted for years." — say "His chronic knee problem has lasted for years.". Chronic lasts a long time; acute starts suddenly, so they are opposites.
Try it: Wei: She has had mild joint pain for more than ten years. Yasmin: Then it counts as a ___ illness. Choose the words for the blank. (chronic / acute / contagious) Answer: chronic — A condition that lasts a long time is chronic; "acute" starts suddenly and is severe.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
highly contagious
/ˈhaɪli kənˈteɪdʒəs/
Measles is so highly contagious that the ward was closed to visitors.
chronic
/ˈkrɑnɪk/
She manages her chronic back pain with physiotherapy and gentle exercise.
acute
/əˈkjut/
He was rushed in with acute chest pain late on Sunday night.
Care before, during and after illness
Preventive care stops an illness before it starts, therapeutic treatment relieves one that exists, and rehabilitation helps patients regain abilities afterward.
Not "Washing your hands is a therapeutic habit that stops infections." — say "Washing your hands is a preventive habit that stops infections.". Preventive stops a problem before it starts; therapeutic treats one that already exists.
Try it: Amina: Her knee has healed, but the muscle is still weak. Wei: Then she'll need a few weeks of ___ before she can run again. Choose the word for the blank. (rehabilitation / prevention / diagnosis) Answer: rehabilitation — Rehabilitation helps a patient regain abilities after an injury; "prevention" comes before a problem starts.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
preventive care
/prɪˈvɛntɪv kɛr/
Her dentist believes in preventive care, so she has a cleaning every six months.
therapeutic treatment
/ˌθɛrəˈpjutɪk ˈtritmənt/
The hospital now offers music as a therapeutic treatment for patients with anxiety.
rehabilitation
/ˌrihəˌbɪləˈteɪʃən/
After his shoulder injury, rehabilitation took three months of daily exercises.
Talking about outcomes
A prognosis forecasts how an illness will develop, promising results point to success, and a survival rate shows how many patients live.
Not "The doctor gave a hopeful diagnosis: she should be well in a month." — say "The doctor gave a hopeful prognosis: she should be well in a month.". A diagnosis names the illness; a prognosis predicts how it will go.
Try it: Lani: How's the injured dog at your clinic doing? Matilda: His ___ is good. He should be running again in two weeks. Choose the word for the blank. (prognosis / diagnosis / symptom) Answer: prognosis — A prognosis predicts how a condition will develop; a "diagnosis" only names the problem.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
prognosis
/prɑɡˈnoʊsɪs/
With rest and the right medicine, her prognosis is excellent.
promising results
/ˈprɑməsɪŋ rɪˈzʌlts/
The pilot program showed promising results, so the hospital will expand it next year.
survival rate
/sərˈvaɪvəl reɪt/
The survival rate for this cancer is now above ninety percent.
What are the common mistakes?
Incorrect
Correct
Why
The medication may have bad side effects.
The medication may have adverse side effects.
In a medical report, adverse is the formal partner; "bad" is too casual.
His acute knee problem has lasted for years.
His chronic knee problem has lasted for years.
Chronic lasts a long time; acute starts suddenly, so they are opposites.
Washing your hands is a therapeutic habit that stops infections.
Washing your hands is a preventive habit that stops infections.
Preventive stops a problem before it starts; therapeutic treats one that already exists.
The doctor gave a hopeful diagnosis: she should be well in a month.
The doctor gave a hopeful prognosis: she should be well in a month.
A diagnosis names the illness; a prognosis predicts how it will go.