This free lesson is taken from our recently published member lesson, introducing a new module in our Spanish for Emergencies Course, covering Wound Care.

If a patient presented to the ER with a deep laceration sustained at work, could you do the following in Spanish?

• Ask the patient how they acquired their wound
• Discuss tetanus prophylaxis
• Explain in Spanish as you clean, numb and suture the wound
• Recommend wound care for home
• Discuss the evaluation for foreign bodies in the wound
• Recommend referral to a specialist for removal of a foreign body
• Prescribe an antibiotic to prevent wound infection

We will cover it all in the latest module of our Emergencies Course. 

In this first lesson, we review Spanish for different types of superficial wounds, and ask the patient how they were injured. 

LEVEL - INTERMEDIATE

3:20

la lesión
injury, lesion

la herida
wound, injury

el corte, la cortadura
cut

la quemadura
burn

la mordedura
bite (from an animal)

la picadura
bite (from an insect or snake)

la incisión
incision

la cicatriz
scar

el rasguño, el arañazo
scratch

la raspadura
scrape

la abrasión
abrasion

el moretón, el cardenal
bruise

el hematoma (m)
hematoma

5:40

lastimarse, lesionarse, herirse, hacerse daño
to get hurt/injured

morder
to bite

muerdo, muerden, mordemos
I bite, they bite, we bite

mordí, mordió, mordimos
I bit, it bit, we bit

la rabia
rabies

rasguñar
to scratch

cortarse
to cut oneself

el cuchillo
knife

la navaja
razor, a pocketknife / penknife / jackknife

un vidro roto
a piece of broken glass

un trozo de metal
a piece of metal

un trozo de madera
piece of wood

puntiagudo
sharp (with a point)

punzocortante
sharp (with a sharp edge or blade)

8:50

¿Cómo se lastimó?
¿Cómo se lesionó?
¿Cómo se hirió?
¿Cómo se hizo daño?
How did you injure yourself?

¿Cómo se hizo esto?
How did this happen? / How did you do this to yourself?

¿Algún animal lo/la mordió?
Did an animal bite you?

¿Qué tipo de animal?
What kind of animal?

¿Conoce al perro que la mordió?
Do you know the dog that bit you?

¿O fue un perro desconocido?
Or was it an unknown dog?

¿Sabe si está vacunado contra la rabia?
Do you know if it is vaccinated against rabies?

¿Alguna persona lo/la mordió?
Did a person bite you?

¿Algún animal lo/la/le* rasguñó?
Did an animal scratch you?
*And we used LE when referring to a non-binary person.

¿Se cortó con….
Did you cut yourself with…

… un cuchillo?
… a knife?

… una navaja?
… a pocketknife / penknife / jackknife?

… un vidrio roto?
… a piece of broken glass?

… un trazo de metal?
… a piece of metal?

… un trazo de madera?
… a piece of wood?

… un objeto puntiagudo?
… something sharp object (with a point)?

… un objeto punzocortante?
… something sharp object (with an edge)?

13:09

Both words translate as SHARP, and some objects are both PUNTIAGUDO y PUNZOCORTANTE.

PUNTIAGUDO describes an object with a sharp point (punta). Ejemplos: un tornillo, un clavo, un gancho.

PUNZOCORTANTE describes an object with a sharp edge (filo). Ejemplos: una navaja, un cuchillo.

TIJERAS (scizzors) pueden ser tanto puntiagudas como punzocortantes.

LOS PUNZOCORTANTES = medical sharps.

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.... one of our members, Laila Powers. These lessons are based on lists of words and phrases Laila wanted to master for her work in the ER. 

I would also like to thank Elizabet Cortez, my Spanish teacher from Guatemala, and Gloria Becerril, my Spanish teacher from Mexico. I consulted with both of them to put together the Spanish for this lesson. In this lesson, you will hear the voice of Eliza from Guatemala. 

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Member? Go to the Spanish for Emergencies course to take the quiz and mark this lesson complete!