2010年ESL之就医和人际交往 05 Visiting a Patient in the Hospital

05 Visiting a Patient in the Hospital

GLOSSARY 1

in time – before something ends or before something is no longer a possibility;with time to spare

* Fredy accidentally slept in, but he hurried and got to work just in time, arriving afew seconds before 8:00.

visiting hours – the periods of time when people are allowed to see and speakwith patients at a hospital, because during the other periods of time the patientsmust be left alone with the doctors and nurses

* I’m sorry, but visiting hours have ended for the day. You can come backtomorrow at 1:00.

emergency ward 2 – the part of a hospital that deals with patients who have veryserious problems that need immediate 3 attention

* Doctors don’t like it when people go to the emergency room when they havejust a mild cold.

intensive care unit (ICU) – the part of a hospital that deals with patients whohave very serious problems and could die, and are in a condition that requiresconstant monitoring and care

* Aunt Marge is in the ICU and the doctors don’t know whether she’ll live or die.

life support – machines that keep a person alive by making oxygen flow throughone’s lungs and by making one’s heart beat

* Grandma is working with a lawyer to make sure that doctors never put her onlife support. She would prefer a natural death.

the prime of (one’s) life – in the best years of one’s life, when one has goodhealth and things are going well

* Hedwig is 34 years old and should be in the prime of her life, but herdepression is making her miserable 4.

to collapse 5 – to suddenly fall down because one feels very weak or losesconsciousness (the ability to think and be aware of where one is)

* Teri went running when it was 104o outside, and she collapsed 6 due to theextreme heat and dehydration 7.

rounds – a doctor’s practice of visiting each of his or her patients in a particularorder

* Next time the doctor comes in here on his rounds, remember to ask him formore pain medication.

condition – the medical or health status of an individual

* Julius is in poor condition, but the doctor says he can improve his healththrough exercise and by eating better.

to dread 8 – to not want to do something; to be very worried or anxious aboutsomething that will happen

* Sequita dreads 9 doing her taxes each spring.

respirator – a machine that helps a person breath, pushing oxygen through hisor her lungs

* If Dad keeps smoking, he might end up on a respirator within a few years.

hooked 10 up to monitors – attached to machines, especially to medical machinesthat observe one’s heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and more

* Please don’t come visit me at the hospital. I don’t want anyone to see mehooked up to monitors.

IV drip – a clear plastic bag that is filled with liquid and hangs next to a patientwith a long, thin plastic tube that connects it to a needle placed inside thepatient’s vein 11, used to put liquid, nutrients 12, and medication in the patient’sbloodstream

* The doctors used an IV drip to rehydrate the runner.

lifeless – without life; not living; dead

* The child held the lifeless bird in her hands and cried.

under sedation – affected 13 by medicine that makes one fall asleep or becomevery calm, unable to respond normally to other people

* The patient became very angry and violent toward the nurses, so the doctorsput him under sedation.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Which of these is a type of life support?

a) Respirator.

b) Monitor.

c) Rounds.

2. Why does George think Peter looks so lifeless?

a) Because he is dying.

b) Because he has died.

c) Because he is being medicated.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

roundsThe word “rounds,” in this podcast, means a doctor’s practice of visiting each ofhis or her patients in a particular order: “The doctor is on his rounds right now,but I’ll have him give you a call once he’s finished.” A “round” can be a group ofrelated events that is part of a larger series of events: “The second round of thedebate will begin at 7:00 tomorrow evening.” A “round of applause 14” is the periodof time when a group of people are clapping to show their appreciation 15 forsomething: “It took the President a long time to finish his speech, because hehad to stop talking for each round of applause.” Finally, the phrase “to make therounds” means for something to be shared among many people: “An interestingmagazine article is making the rounds through the office as co-workers share itwith each other.”

conditionIn this podcast, the word “condition” means the medical or health status of anindividual: “You shouldn’t be outside of the house in your condition! The doctorsaid you should stay in bed and rest.” The word “conditions” means the situationin which people live: “They live in horrible conditions, without running water orelectricity.” The phrase “the condition of (something)” refers to the quality ofsomething: “What is the government doing to improve the condition of the localschools?” Finally, a “condition” is a term in an agreement, or a requirement forsomething else to happen: “Her continued employment is a condition for the loan.” Or, “Make sure you read all the detailed 16 terms and conditions beforesigning the contract.”

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CULTURE NOTE

When Americans are sick or injured and have to stay at the hospital for a periodof time, their friends and family members often visit them to try to “cheer themup” (make someone feel better and happier).

Many visitors bring the patient a “bouquet” (floral arrangement; a pretty group offlowers) of flowers or a small plant to “brighten” (have lighter 17, sunnier colors) theroom and freshen the air. Visitors might also bring music for the patient to listento, or videos to watch. Other visitors might bring the patient his or her favoritefoods, since the food served in hospital “cafeterias” (places that serve food tomany people) is “notoriously” (famous in a bad way) bad. Of course, the doctorsoften want to control what the patients eat, so the visitors might have to “sneak itin” (bring the food secretly, without being seen).

Mostly, the visitors simply spend time with the patient, trying to “distract” (helpsomeone stop thinking about something) him or her from the pain, discomfort,and worry. They might tell stories, look at photographs, or watch a movietogether. People who share religious beliefs might “pray” (speak with God)together for a “speedy” (quick) “recovery” (return to good health).

People who cannot visit the hospital might send a card with a small gift, likeflowers or a “stuffed animal” (a small, soft toy in the shape of an animal, normallyfor young children). Sometimes when a student is in the hospital, his or herclassmates create a large “get-well” (designed to help someone feel better) cardor “banner” (a large piece of paper to hang on the wall) and have everyone signit.

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Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – c

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 18

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 567: Visiting aPatient in the Hospital.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 19 567. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

If you like this podcast and would like to support us you can become a memberof ESL Podcast by going to our website, eslpod.com (com). You can also makea donation to or podcast to keep this audio portion free for everyone.

This episode is about someone visiting a hospital. It uses vocabulary that youwould need in a hospital. I hope you don’t need it, but if you do, here it is. Let’sget started.

[start of dialogue]

George: You’re just in time. There’s only another 20 minutes until the end ofvisiting hours.

Inez: I got here as soon as I could. How is Uncle Peter?

George: They moved him from the emergency ward to the intensive care unit.

He’s on life support.

Inez: How could this have happened? How could somebody in the prime of hislife collapse suddenly like that?

George: They’ve been running tests all day, and the doctor is supposed to comeby after her rounds to talk to us. Hopefully, we’ll get some answers then, andshe’ll give us an update on Uncle Peter’s condition. Come on, I’ll take you to theICU.

Inez: Okay, but I really dread seeing him on a respirator and hooked up tomonitors.

George: This is it, room 323.

Inez: Oh, look at him. What are all of these IV drips for? He looks so lifeless inthat hospital bed. Is he under sedation?

George: Yeah, I think so. We’ll know more when the doctor gets here. Oh, hereshe is.

Inez: Let’s hope she has some answers for us.

[end of dialogue]

George begins by saying to Inez, “You’re just in time.” “In time” means beforesomething is ending, before something is no longer possible. To tell someonethat they are “just in time” means that a few minutes later, or maybe an hour laterthey would not be able to do what they can do now. George says, “There’s onlyanother 20 minutes until the end of visiting hours.” “Visiting hours” are timeswhen family and friends can see and visit patients in a hospital. A “patient” issomeone who is sick. So, it’s the time you can go to the hospital and talk tosomebody who’s there. Every hospital has different visiting hours.

Inez says, “I got here as soon as I could (as fast as I could). How is UnclePeter?” George says, “They moved him from the emergency ward to theintensive care unit.” In a hospital, the different parts or sections of the hospitalare called “wards” (wards). For babies that are going to be born, you go to the“maternity ward.” That’s where they deliver babies. There was a famous novelby late Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn called The Cancer Ward. Thatwould be the place in the hospital where they take care of people who havecancer. This is the “emergency ward,” it’s for people who have very seriousproblems and need immediate attention. The “intensive care unit” is a specialpart of the hospital for people who are so sick they might die soon, so that theyare given extra attention (extra care; help) to make sure they don’t. George saysthat Uncle Peter is on life support. “Life support” in a hospital are machines thatkeep a person alive. Often, they allow the person to breathe; they prevent theperson from dying, if they did not have the life support they would die. To be onlife support is to be in a very serious situation.

Inez says, “How could this have happened? How could somebody in the primeof his life collapse suddenly like that?” Inez doesn’t understand why Uncle Peteris sick. She says he’s in the prime of his life. The expression “the prime (prime)of (one’s) life” are the best years, the years where you are almost always goingto be healthy. Maybe it’s between 20 and 70, depends on the person. I’m 46, soI’m in the prime of my life. Uncle Peter suddenly collapsed. “To collapse” means to fall down suddenly because you feel sick; you feel weak; perhaps you becomeunconscious, like you were sleeping. That’s to collapse.

George says that the doctors have been “running tests” (doing tests) all day,trying to find out what is wrong. “The doctor,” he says, “is supposed to come by(is supposed to visit) after her rounds to talk to us.” “Rounds” (rounds) are whena doctor goes and sees all of his or her patients, usually in a certain order: firstthey go to this ward, then they go to that ward; first they see this person, thenthey see that person. It’s sort of like the plan that doctors follow to visit all of thepatients that they have. George says, “Hopefully, we’ll get some answers then(when the doctor comes), and she’ll give us an update (the most recentinformation) on Uncle Peter’s condition (how Peter is doing).” I should mentionthat the word “round” that we just talked about has several different meanings inEnglish. If you’re member of ESL Podcast, you can find out what those are bygoing to the Learning Guide for this episode. You can also find other meaningsof the word “condition” in that same Learning Guide.

George says, “Come on, I’ll take you to the ICU.” The “ICU” is the intensive careunit, often called, simply, “ICU.” Inez says, “Okay, but I really dread seeing himon a respirator and hooked up to monitors.” “To dread” (dread) means not towant to do something because you are very worried or you’re anxious about whatwill happen. Uncle Peter is on a respirator. A “respirator” is a machine that helpsyou breathe by pushing oxygen into your lungs. It allows you to breathe even ifyou can’t breathe on your own. It’s very common when someone is ill that theyare so weak that they cannot breathe properly, and so respirators are used tokeep them alive. Inez says Uncle Peter is hooked up to monitors. “To behooked up to (something)” means to be connected to something. A “monitor” is amachine, especially in a hospital, that tells you how the person – the patient isdoing: their heart rate, their blood pressure, and so forth 20.

George says, “This is it,” they’ve been walking to the ICU. “This is it,” he says,“room 323.” Inez says, “Oh, look at him (meaning Uncle Peter). What are all ofthese IV drips for?” “IV” stands for intravenous. “IV drip” is a clear, usually,plastic bag that is full of liquid, often with medicine in it, and it hangs next to thepatient. It is hooked up to the patient; there’s actually something that goes in,usually, to the patient’s arm. This allows, for example, for the doctors to makesure the person keeps “hydrated,” make sure they have enough water. It is alsoa way of giving medicine to a person who is sick. You’ll often see IVs next topatients in hospitals.

Inez then says, “He looks so lifeless in that hospital bed.” “To be lifeless” is to bewithout life, basically like you’re dead. Inez says, “Is he under sedation?”

“Sedation” is medicine that makes you very sleepy; it calms you down. Often, ifsomeone is under sedation, you can’t talk to them because they’re sleeping orthey don’t respond normally to you. George says, “Yeah, I think so. We’ll knowmore when the doctor gets here. Oh, here she is.” Inez then says, “Let’s hopeshe has some answers for us.”

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

George: You’re just in time. There’s only another 20 minutes until the end ofvisiting hours.

Inez: I got here as soon as I could. How is Uncle Peter?

George: They moved him from the emergency ward to the intensive care unit.

He’s on life support.

Inez: How could this have happened? How could somebody in the prime of hislife collapse suddenly like that?

George: They’ve been running tests all day, and the doctor is supposed to comeby after her rounds to talk to us. Hopefully, we’ll get some answers then, andshe’ll give us an update on Uncle Peter’s condition. Come on, I’ll take you to theICU.

Inez: Okay, but I really dread seeing him on a respirator and hooked up tomonitors.

George: This is it, room 323.

Inez: Oh, look at him. What are all of these IV drips for? He looks so lifeless inthat hospital bed. Is he under sedation?

George: Yeah, I think so. We’ll know more when the doctor gets here. Oh, hereshe is.

Inez: Let’s hope she has some answers for us.

[end of dialogue]

The script for this episode was written by someone in the prime of her writing life,Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2010 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.