Mastering ER Triage for Injuries in Spanish

Medical Spanish Podcast

In this lesson, I’m joined by Luis Almeida from Venezuela to practice essential questions for assessing patients who come to the ER with an apparent injury.

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LEVEL - INTERMEDIATE

General Injury Assessment

01:46

Ask if the patient has been injured, where the injury is located, and if they are bleeding.

¿Se ha lesionado?
¿Se ha herido?
Have you been injured?

Both LESIONARSE and HERIRSE are used to express “to be injured.” Learn more: How did you injure yourself?

Señale dónde está lesionado/a.
Señale dónde está herido/a.
Point to where you are injured?

¿Se ha lastimado el brazo derecho?
Have you hurt your right arm?

We use the pronominal (reflexive) form of the verb, LASTIMARSE, and the definite article EL before BRAZO. Learn more: Verbs with the Body in Spanish.

¿Dónde le duele más?
Where does it hurt most?

¿Está sangrando?
Are you bleeding?

¿De dónde está sangrando? Señáleme.
Where are you bleeding from? Show me.

Falls and Accidents

04:30

Ask about any falls, accidents, and the mechanism of injury.

¿Se ha caído?
Have you fallen?

¿Se cayó?
Did you fall?

¿Desde cuántos metros cayó?
From how many meters did you fall?

Note how it is less common to use the pronominal (reflexive) form of the verb when speaking of falling from a location. Learn more: Verbs of Motion – Reflexive vs Not Part 1

¿Ha tenido un accidente?
Have you had an accident?

¿Le ha atropellado un vehículo?
Have you been hit by a vehicle?

In Spanish, it is more common to express this in the active voice, literally, “Has a vehicle struck you?” Also, in this case, Luis used LE when referring to the direct object of the verb ATROPELLAR. When addressing someone as USTED, you will note LE is commonly used to refer to the direct object.

¿Iba en carro?
Were you in a car?

In these examples, we use the verb IR to express motion. You could also use ESTAR in each of these examples.

¿Iba en motocicleta?
Were you on a motorcycle?

¿Iba en bicicleta?
Were you on a bike.

¿Iba en bicicleta eléctrica?
Were you on an electric bike?

¿Iba en patineta?
Were you on a skateboard?

¿Iba en patinete?
Were you on a scooter?

You will also hear “moto” to refer to a motorized scooter.

¿Estaba caminando?
Were you walking?

¿Era peatón?
¿Era peatona?
Were you a pedestrian?

¿Era transeúnte?
Were you a passerby/bystander?

Head Injury and Loss of Consciousness

10:06

Determine if the patient suffered a head injury or lost consciousness.

¿Se golpeó la cabeza?
Did you hit your head?

¿Perdió el conocimiento?
Did you lose consciousness?

Learn more: Difficulty Performing Actions, Head Trauma, and Seizures

Violence-Related Injuries

10:39

Ask about any potential violence-related injuries, such as stab wounds or gunshot wounds.

¿Ha recibido una puñalada?
Have you been stabbed?

¿Ha recibido una herida de bala?
Have you sustained a gunshot wound?

¿Dónde? Señáleme.
Where? Show me.

¿Estuvo en una pelea?
Were you in a fight?

¿Alguien le pegó?
Did someone hit you?

The indirect object pronoun LE is always used with the verb PEGAR because there is an implied direct object, GOLPE. ¿Alguien le pegó un glope?

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¡Gracias por escuchar!

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