Topic vocabulary: Health |
| administer (v) |
to give someone a drug or medical treatment |
The drugs are administered intravenously. |
| admit (v) |
to take someone into hospital for medical treatment |
After collapsing, she was rushed to hospital, where she was admitted. |
| agony (n) |
great pain |
William fell to the ground, writhing in agony. |
| agony (n) |
a strong and unpleasant feeling, especially great worry or sadness |
Waiting for the results was agony. |
| antidote (n) |
a substance that prevents a poison from having bad effects |
It's a snake bite. Quick - get the antidote! |
| consultant (n) |
a senior doctor in a hospital who is an expert in a particular medical subject |
She's a consultant cardiologist. |
| diagnosis (n) |
a statement about what disease someone has, based on examining them |
Her doctor made a diagnosis of appendicitis. |
| inoculate (v) |
to protect someone against a particular disease by injecting a medicine containing a small amount of the disease into them, so that their body becomes immune to it |
None of the family had been inoculated against diphtheria. |
| irritation (n) |
a painful feeling in a part of the body, often with red skin or swelling |
Some drugs can cause stomach irritation. |
| numb (adj) |
a part of your body that is numb has no feeling |
After hours of sitting on the floor, her legs had gone numb. |
| numb (adj) |
not able to react or to show your emotions, often because of an extreme shock |
I was numb with fear. |
| nursing home (n phr) |
an institution where old people live when they are too old or ill to look after themselves without help |
My grandmother's moving into a nursing home next week. |
| paralysis (n) |
the loss of the ability to move your body or a part of it, usually because of an injury or illness |
The syndrome can lead to sudden paralysis. |
| plaster (n) |
a thin piece of cloth or plastic that is sticky on one side, and that you put on your skin to cover a cut |
I've cut my finger. Have you got a plaster? |
| plaster (n) |
if a part of someone's body is in plaster, it has a hard cover around it to protect a broken bone |
One man had his leg in plaster, having broken it in an accident. |
| prescribe (v) |
if a doctor prescribes a drug or treatment, they say you should have it |
The drug should not be taken unless prescribed by a doctor. |
| prevent(at)ive medicine (n phr) |
medical examinations, treatments, advice, etc intended to prevent illness or discover it before it becomes serious |
The government should invest more in preventive medicine. |
| prognosis (n) |
a doctor's opinion about the way in which a disease or illness is likely to develop |
What's the prognosis, doctor? |
| sick leave (n phr) |
a period of time during which you do not work because you are ill |
Mr Jenkins is away on sick leave today. |
| side effect (n phr) |
an effect of a medicine that is not intended and could be unpleasant |
The treatment has no significant side effects. |
| syringe (n) |
a needle fitted to a plastic tube, used for taking blood from your body or for putting medicine or drugs into it |
Take the syringe and inject the patient. |
| vaccine (n) |
a substance put into the body, usually by injection, in order to provide protection against a disease |
Is there an effective vaccine for meningitis? |
| ward (n) |
a large room in a hospital with beds for people to stay in |
Jo is a staff nurse working on the maternity ward. |
