This is the first of 4 scenarios where the paramedics respond to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In this first scenario, the patient is already in rigor mortis, and the paramedics must explain why they are not initiating CPR.

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I recorded this dialogue with one of my Spanish teachers from México, Daniela Grave. Click here to take lessons with Daniela.  

CPR
la RCP

roommate (in an apartment)
el compañero de departamento / la compañera de departamento

roommate (colloquialism en México)
el roomie, la roomie

not breathing or without breathing
sin respirar

He found him not breathing
Lo encontró sin respirar

pulse
el pulso

paramedic
el paramédico, la paramédica

signs (as in “signs of rigor mortis”)
las señales, los signos

stiffness
la rigidez

jaw
la mandíbula

muscles
los músculos

extremities
las extremidades

his heart stopped
Su corazón se paró.
Su corazón se detuvo.

to restart the heart
reiniciar el corazón

to use drugs
consumir drogas

pills
las pastillas

to break up with his/her/their boyfriend
romper con su novio

depressed
deprimido, deprimida

to feel better
sentirse mejor

loss
la pérdida

police officer
el oficial de policía / la oficial de policía.

the medical examiner’s office
la oficina del médico forense

Learn Spanish for discussing a DNR order and a more palliative approach to care.

We are revisiting a dialogue from the Palliative Care module in our Spanish for Primary Care course. A doctor discusses code status with the daughter of a patient admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. In the first half of this dialogue, the doctor explained CPR. In the second half, the doctor explains that when a person is in a fragile state of health, cardiopulmonary resuscitation often fails to achieve the desired results.

LEVEL – ADVANCED

Member?

Access the complete lesson, lesson notes, Quizlet set, and PDF in the Cardiac Arrest module of our Spanish for Emergencies course.

Access the Palliative Care module in our Spanish for Primary Care course.

Participate in the latest member survey.

I agree.
Estoy de acuerdo.

everything possible
todo lo posible

to benefit
beneficiar

to fail
fallar

to resuscitate
reanimar, resucitar

Trying to resuscitate him would not benefit him.(Usa: TRATAR y RESUCITAR)
Tratar de resucitarlo no le beneficiaría.

Should we try to resuscitate him if his heart or lungs were to fail? (Usa: INTENTAR y REANIMAR)
¿Deberíamos intentar reanimarlo, si su corazón o sus pulmones fallaran?
¿Lo deberíamos intentar reanimar, si su corazón o sus pulmones fallaran?

Aquí utilizamos el imperfecto de subjuntivo para expresar una situación hipotética. Practicamos aquí este uso del subjuntivo: Conditional Statements.

delicate or fragile (Describiendo el estado de salud)
delicado o frágil

It’s less likely.
Hay menos probabilidad.
Es menos probable.

resuscitation
la reanimación, la resucitación

desired results
los resultados deseados

It is less likely that resuscitation will have the desired results.
Hay menos probabilidad de que la resucitación tenga los resultados deseados.
Es menos probable que la reanimación tenga los resultados deseados.

Aquí utilizamos el subjuntivo para expresar probabilidad. Interprétalo otra vez. Practicamos aquí este uso del subjuntivo: Disbelief and Possibility.

It is less likely that resuscitation will have the desired results.
Es menos probable que la resucitación (o la reanimación) tenga los resultados deseados.

to cause him harm
causarle daño

to press to his chest
presionar su pecho

ribs
las costillas

Ribs may break.
Las costillas se pueden quebrar / romper
Las costillas pueden quebrarse / romperse.

compressions
las compresiones

other internal problems
otros problemas internos

aggressive therapies
las terapias agresivas

ventilators
los respiradores

medications to maintain blood pressure
los medicamentos para mantener la presión

to achieve their objective
lograr su objetivo

to cause more suffering
causar más sufrimiento

antibiotics
los antibióticos

IV fluids
los líquidos intravenosos

También escucharás el término suero para referirse a los líquidos intravenosos.

medical technology
la tecnología médica

to let nature take its course
dejar que la naturaleza siga su curso

Fíjate cómo el verbo de influencia DEJAR va seguido del subjuntivo. Practicamos aquí este uso del subjuntivo: Subjunctive Following Verbs of Influence.

quality of life
la calidad de vida

to place him in God’s hands
ponerlo en las manos de Dios

Gracias por escuchar. ¡Hasta la próxma!

I recorded this dialogue with one of my Spanish teachers from México, Ángel Bahena. Click here to take lessons with Ángel.  

Learn to discuss CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) in Spanish with the family of a patient with advanced dementia.

Next week, we will begin a series of lessons based on 4 scenarios where a patient suffers an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In this series, we will learn how to explain the results of CPR, the condition of the patient, and the next steps in their care in Spanish. To introduce this series, we are revisiting a dialogue from our Palliative Care series, in which a doctor explains CPR while discussing code status with the daughter of a patient admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. 

LEVEL – ADVANCED

Access full show notes, the Quizlet set and the PDF for this lesson within our Spanish for Emergencies course! 

ONE-QUESTION SURVEY: Do you want us to do the podcast totally in Spanish?

This lesson is part of our Palliative Care series. In this series, we cover. 

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I recorded this dialogue with one of my Spanish teachers from México, Ángel Bahena. Click here to take lessons with Ángel.  

ingresar al hospital
to admit to the hospital

la neumonía
pneumonia

tratar
to treat

curar
to treat, to cure

Vamos a ingresar a su padre al hospital para tratar la neumonía.
We are going to admit your father to the hospital to treat the pneumonia.

débil
weak

Se ha puesto / vuelto muy débil.
Se ha debilitado mucho.
He has become very weak.

el derrame cerebral
stroke

empeorar
to worsen

el estado de salud
state of health

Su estado de salud ha empeorado.
His state of health has declined.

los problemas para respirar
problems breathing

el corazón
heart

fallar
to fail

administrar, aplicar
to administrar, to give

la resucitación/reanimación cardiopulmonar
cardiopulmonary resuscitation

el paro cardíaco
cardiac arrest

el paro respiratorio
respiratory arrest

¿Cree que (a él) le gustaría que se le aplicara resucitación/reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP) en caso de tener un paro cardíaco o respiratorio?
Do you think he would like to be given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest?

Empezamos con el condicional: LE GUSTARÍA QUE…. y como estamos expresando un juicio u opinión, terminamos con el imperfecto de subjuntivo: SE LE APLICARA RESUCITACIÓN CARDIOPULMONAR. Aquí, utilizamos el se pasivo y LE se refiere al paciente. Aprende a usar el subjuntivo para expresar juicios o opiniones: Influence Emotion and Judgments.

reanimar
to revive

la actividad cardíaca /cardiaca
cardiac activity

la respiración
breathing

La reanimación cardiopulmonar es cuando tratamos de/intentamos reanimar la actividad cardíaca y la respiración después de un paro cardiaco.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is when we try to revive the cardiac activity and breathing after a cardiac arrest.

presionar
to press

dar respiraciones
to give breaths

Se le presiona el pecho.
Your chest is pressed on.

Puede romper costillas.
It may break ribs.

Se le dan respiraciones por la boca.
You are given breaths through the mouth.

la vía respiratoria
airway

las descargas eléctricas
electrical shocks

los fármacos/medicamentos/medicinas por vía intravenosa.
intravenous medications

Se le introduce un tubo por la vía respiratoria.
A tube is inserted down your airway.

Se le aplican descargas eléctricas al corazón.
Electrical shocks are applied to your heart.

Se le administran fármacos por vía intravenosa.
You are administered medications through an IV.

Graicas por escuchar. ¡Hasta la próxima!

Learning the NIH Stroke Scale in Spanish is essential for any healthcare provider who evaluates Spanish-speaking patients in the emergency department. This lesson kicks off our series on Spanish medical vocabulary for stroke assessment, walking you through real clinical dialogue you can use the next time a patient presents with stroke symptoms.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear a patient arrive at the ER after the sudden onset of right leg weakness, followed by the first portion of the NIH Stroke Scale exam conducted in Spanish. You’ll learn how to greet a patient, ask about their chief complaint, and understand how Spanish speakers describe neurological symptoms like weakness and numbness. Premium members can continue with the full dialogue and the remainder of the NIH Stroke Scale exam in Spanish.

This lesson is part of our broader Spanish for Emergency Medicine curriculum and builds foundational vocabulary for conducting a stroke history and exam in Spanish, including:

LEVEL – INTERMEDIATE

(Saludos y presentaciones)

During introductions, we use definite articles before titles. Learn when to use a definite article before one’s title.

Buenas tardes. Soy el doctor Méndez. ¿Usted es la señora Martínez?

(Good afternoon. I’m doctor Méndez. Are you Mrs. Martínez?)

We conjugate the verb SER according to the pronoun. Practice using the verb SER with pronouns.

Sí, soy yo.

(Yes, that’s me.)

(Preocupación principal)

Once introductions are out of the way, the provider asks the patient why they came in. Here’s how that question, and the patient’s answer, sound in Spanish.

D: Dígame. ¿Qué le pasa? ¿Qué le trae a urgencias hoy?

(Tell me. What is wrong? What brings you to the emergency room today?)

Dígame. / Dime. (Tell me.)

¿Qué le pasa? / ¿Qué te pasa? (What’s wrong?)

las urgencias / la sala de urgencias / la sala de emergencias (the emergency room)

¿Qué le trae a la sala de emergencias hoy?

(What brings you to the emergency room today?)

(Historia de la Enfermedad Actual)

Next, the patient describes how her symptoms began. Notice how she shifts between past tenses to set the scene and narrate the sudden onset of her symptoms.

Bueno, estaba trabajando en el jardín y casi me caigo. De repente sentí la pierna derecha débil, sin fuerza. Y la siento adormecida.

(Well, I was working in the yard and I almost fell. Suddenly, my right leg felt weak, limp. And it feels numb.)

She sets the scene with the imperfect tense:

Estaba trabajando en el jardín.

(If you have trouble seeing the bottom of your foot.)

She uses the present tense to express something that almost happened, but was never completed:

Casi me caigo.

(I almost fell.)

She uses the preterite tense to express a discrete event that occurred at a specific point in time:

De repente, sentí la pierna derecha débil, sin fuerza.

(Suddenly, my right leg felt weak and limp.)

sin fuerza (limp)

See our series covering Imperfect vs Preterite.

To describe how a body part feels, Spanish speakers often use the verb sentir (to feel) followed by the body part and an adjective that agrees in gender and number with that body part. This construction is especially useful for patients who describe neurological symptoms such as weakness or numbness. The formula is:

sentir + la parte del cuerpo + adjetivo
(to feel + the body part + adjective)

Sentí la pierna derecha débil.

(My right leg felt weak.)

La siento adormecida.

(It feels numb.)

débil (weak)

adormecido(a) / entumecido(a) (numb)

Practice describing your body using the construction: Tener/Sentir + la parte del cuerpo + adjetivo.

Become a member and learn the entire NIH Stroke Scale in Spanish!

¡Gracias por estudiar español médico con nosotros! 

These lessons are solely for learning Spanish. They are not intended to teach medicine or provide medical advice.

Welcome to another episode covering Spanish when evaluating a patient with stroke symptoms. In this lesson, we will review some key questions when gathering a history from a patient presenting with stroke symptoms.You will hear a clinical dialogue recorded with my Spanish teacher from Mexico, Gloria Becerril, where a daughter brings her mother to the ER after finding her unable to talk and weak on one side. After listening to the clinical dialogue, we will practice phrases and questions related to trouble speaking, difficulty with balance, and weakness.

We will also learn how to ask in Spanish when the patient last appeared normal, a critical step in determining whether our patient is eligible for thrombolytic or endovascular therapy.

Access the full transcript, the PDF, and the Quizlet set for this lesson within the Stroke Module of our Spanish for Emergencies Course. 

Clinical Dialogue 1:22

Vocabulary and phrase review  3:44

Future lessons will cover the imaging evaluation and treatment of stroke. So if you are like me and want to become proficient at caring for your Spanish-speaking patients with stroke, support the podcast and BECOME A MEMBER!

This lesson kicks off the Stroke Module in our Spanish for Emergencies course! Practice vocabulary and questions related to stroke symptoms in Spanish.

1:06

First, we will practice vocabulary related to stroke symptoms. Then we will use this vocabulary in questions. 

3:21

Practice using the verb TENER to ask if the patient has any stroke symptoms. ¿Tiene [síntoma]?

5:20

Practice using the verb NOTAR to ask if the patient has noticed any stroke symptoms. ¿Ha notado [síntoma]?

6:03

Practice using the verb SENTIRSE to ask HOW the patient feels. >> ¿Cómo se siente el paciente?

6:58

Practice using the verb SENTIR to ask WHAT the patient feels. >> ¿Qué siente el paciente?

9:38

Practice asking if the patient has difficulty performing specific actions. >> ¿Tiene dificultad para [verbo en infinitivo]?

Watch the video, download the PDF, and access the Quizlet set for this lesson in our Spanish for Emergencies Course! 

¡Gracias por escuchar!

You are about to hear a lesson from our History and Exam Course. This course covers all the necessary Spanish for performing a complete history and exam. The course level is beginner to intermediate, and all the lessons are interactive. 

In this lesson, we will learn how to ask the patient's chief complaint in Spanish. 

LEVEL - ADVANCED BEGINNER 

Watch the video and access the full transcript within the course. 

Support this project by becoming a member at docmolly.com!

Gracias por escuchar y hasta la próxima. 

el consultorio 
doctor’s office, clinic

¿Que le trae al consultorio hoy?
What brings you to the clinic today?

¿Cuál es el problema?
What is the problem?

¿Qué le pasa?
What is wrong?

la molestia
discomfort, physical concern, trouble

¿Qué molestia tiene hoy?
What concerns do you have today?

¿Qué me cuenta?
What do you have to tell me?

¿Cómo le puedo ayudar?*
How can I help you?
* This is located in a subsequent section in the audio lesson. 

We use the reflexive verb SENTIRSE to express HOW we feel

We use the non-reflexive verb SENTIR when expressing WHAT we feel. 

¿Cómo se siente?
How are you feeling?

¿Cómo se ha sentido?
How have you been feeling?

¿Se siente bien?
Do you feel well?

¿Se siente mal?
Do you feel sick?

¿Siente dolor en la pierna?
Do you feel pain in your leg?

¿Cómo está?
How are you?

¿Cómo ha estado?
How have you been?

¿Cómo le va?
How is it going?

¿Cómo le ha ido?
How’s it been going?

¿Tiene dolor?
Do you have pain?

Señale dónde tiene dolor.
Point to where you have pain.

Señale dónde tiene el problema.
Point to where you have the problem.

Señale dónde tiene la molestia.
Point to where the trouble is.

¿Dónde le duele?
Where do you hurt?

Señale dónde le duele.
Point to where it hurts.

The post Learning the Chief Complaint in Spanish appeared first on Doc Molly.

My Spanish teacher from Mexico, Gloria Becerril, and I discuss gender identity, sexuality, and how to use gender inclusive language in Spanish.  Esperamos que lo disfrutes. 

LEVEL – ADVANCED 

(OJO – These timestamps are for the audio podcast. The timestamps for the video are included in the video description in YouTube. If watching the video, you can also drag your curser along the scrubbing timeline at the bottom of the video.)

Le doy las gracias a mi profesora de México, Gloria Becerril.

Email: [email protected] Sign up for classes HERE!

Esto fue solamente el comienzo de una conversación. Comparte tu opinión con nosotros dejando un comentario a continuación o poniéndote en contacto con nosotros aquí. 

In this introductory lesson to our series on Chagas disease, we present a clinical dialogue where a healthcare provider recommends screening for the disease, and the subsequent follow-up conversation that takes place after the patient tests positive for Chagas disease. 

This clinical dialogue was adapted from a dialogue I received in English, from a researcher named Maddie Dauphinais. Maddie works with a team of researchers and clinicians from Boston University and Boston Medical Center called INSECT. INSECT stands for Implementing Novel Strategies for Education and Chagas Testing.  Chagas disease, caused by infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is primarily found in Latin America. Infection can lead to heart disease, intestinal problems, among other health consequences. It affects hundreds of thousands of migrants living in the US. The goal of the INSECT team is to raise awareness about Chagas disease and improve its screening and diagnosis nationally. This dialogue will help providers discuss the screening process and the results of testing with their patients from Mexico, Central America and South America.  

Joining me for this lesson is my Spanish teacher from México, Daniela Grave. In addition to being an instructor at the online Spanish school, Deliberate Spanish - La Comunidad, she is the cocreator of the Spanish-learning podcast Cognados. Following the dialogue, you will here the first part of a Q and A between Daniela and myself, where I ask her questions about the vocabulary and grammar from the dialogue.

To continue your Spanish language journey and get access to the next two lessons, become a member. Your support will help us continue to provide high-quality medical Spanish education. ¡Gracias!

Access full show notes (transcript of everything in Spanish) within our new Infections Course!

LEVEL - ADVANCED  

ACCESS FULL SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT OF EVERYTHING IN SPANISH) WITHIN OUR NEW INFECTIONS COURSE.

Sign up for a membership. ¡Gracias por apoyar nuestro proyecto de español médico!

The post Detection of Chagas Disease appeared first on Doc Molly.

Welcome to the first of three lessons covering Spanish for procedural sedation. In this lesson, we'll cover vocabulary for conscious sedation, the use of sedatives and analgesics, how to ask about prior anesthesia, and how to explain an IV.

Joining me for this lesson is my Spanish teacher from Guatemala, Elizabeth Cortez Cox.

To continue your Spanish language journey and get access to the next two lessons, become a member. Your support will help us continue to provide high-quality medical Spanish education. ¡Gracias!

LEVEL - UPPER INTERMEDIATE

La sedación consciente 1:46

Vamos a ponerle un sedante 2:42

¿Le han puesto anestesia antes? 5:00

Pretérito 8:45

LO/LA vs LE 9:38

Poner una vía intravenosa 10:28

Sign up for a membership. ¡Gracias por apoyar nuestro proyecto de español médico!

The post Intro to Procedural Sedation in Spanish appeared first on Doc Molly.