Medical diagnoses in Latin?

bluerider2 said:Exactly. We had this one doctor who would just write unam / unum or duos / duas in the dosage bracket—I guess he wasn't even sure if there was a neuter option for packaging—so when he actually needed to write quattuor or heaven forbid quinque, he’d just write out two separate prescriptions instead. 😁

Oh man, what are you guys even arguing about? I mean, I guess the most important thing with that doctor is whether he actually knows his Latin declensions—and honestly, the whole idea that doctors write messily because they don't know Latin seems kind of silly to me... those people have way bigger things to worry about in life than Latin... at least, I think so. 😁

Isn't it more important to wonder if they're giving a correct diagnosis and if you're actually happy with them as your doctor?

Personally, I'm all for using Latin terminology because I really love it 🙂 and, like someone else mentioned, if you don't understand something, you can just ask your doctor. Plus, using complex American medical jargon wouldn't be clear to most people either—if everything were written in plain everyday English, handwriting would be even worse because trying to squeeze a long explanation into a few words would take hours...
A discharge summary or anything written in a hospital or clinic isn't meant to be a textbook for the patient; it's an official record for a doctor to interpret whenever you ask.

Even if we switch everything over to English, most patients aren't going to grasp half the terminology used. Even when things are translated into plain English, you’ll still find yourself needing a doctor to sit down and explain what those terms actually mean.
Beyond that, a condition like an ileus is still going to be an ileus. Doctors are naturally going to mix medical Latin with standard American English because finding direct replacements for certain technical terms just isn't always practical. Personally, I think medical records should be kept in one's native language, but every physician needs to be proficient in Latin. After all, doctors across America and all over the world rely on that shared Latin foundation to ensure clear communication when collaborating on a case.

Even the basic instructions—the indications, contraindications, all that stuff on the drug leaflets—are written so poorly you practically need a PhD just to figure out what's going on (not that anyone actually bothers to read them anyway).

I think people basically don't read them because they're just irresponsible.

Look, I personally make sure to study that little paper thoroughly before I take anything. Sure, I don't always get every single medical term and I have zero clue what some specific pill mass is, but I can damn well read the usage, contraindications, and side effects. Besides, pharmacists are actual professionals. If you're lost, just go ask them at the drugstore.

Kimberly Davis52 said:I think people generally don't read them because they're just irresponsible.

Well, personally, I make it a point to actually study the fine print before I put anything in my mouth. Sure, I don't always grasp every single complex medical term, and heaven knows I have absolutely no clue what half those specific chemical compounds are actually doing, but I can certainly manage to read the usage instructions, the contraindications, and the side effects. Besides, pharmacists aren't just there for decoration; if you're feeling particularly lost, you can always just go ask one.

I’m fairly certain you’re the fifth person I’ve ever met who actually bothers to read the manual before using it.

fadedtrucker19 said:I honestly think you’re one of the only five people I know who actually bothers to read the instructions before using something.

Hey, I read them! I go through everything line by line, 😬
whether it's just out of pure curiosity or because my brain is wired a little weirdly—I just have this need to process every single word on the page,
no matter what it is.
I’ll probably end up reading the fine print on a roll of toilet paper if I have to! 🤣

Honestly, I’m just like everyone else here, obsessively reading through all the instruction manuals for every single tablet, whether they came with my own device or were just sitting around the house...😁

I’m always reading, too. 😬

The Sunday edition of The New York Times just dropped an article on this exact topic, addressing several points some of you have raised. It’s absolute nonsense to claim Latin is used for doctors to communicate with colleagues abroad; everyone just speaks English.

jadesailor14 said:I read them too, down to the last detail 😬
whether it's just pure curiosity or some weird glitch in my brain that forces me to scan every single letter on the page
whatever the reason is
I'll read declarations printed on toilet paper if I have to🤣

jadesailor14? Are we the same person? Is there an echo in here? 😁

boldsailor52 said:The New York Times ran a feature on this in their Sunday edition, addressing exactly what some of you have been arguing about. It is absolute nonsense to claim Latin is used for doctors to communicate with colleagues abroad; everyone just speaks English.

Even in English, we still rely heavily on Latin terms. For instance, pneumonia is both an English and a Latin term for lung inflammation. 😉
Most histopathology diagnoses worldwide still utilize Latin... I mean, what would you even call things like a granuloma, epithelium, or vasculitis? You could maybe use the English terms, but it’s rarely just one word.

The linguistic mess happens when you start mixing modern disease names—which are mostly English and often just acronyms like AIDS, ARDS, SARS, or BOOP—with Latin roots. That's how you end up with derivatives like large-cell carcinoma. The funniest part? Even Americans write it that way in their reports instead of just saying large-cell cancer.

I am not entirely convinced that using American medical terminology would actually help patients understand anything better. What difference would it make if, instead of morbus Wegener, it said Wegener's disease? 😕 Alright, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit here. 😬

Here is the text you requested.

northernviper392 said:I go through the instructions for every single pill I take, whether they're mine or someone else's in the house...😁

😍 Honestly, every time I actually sit down and read the contraindications, I start thinking maybe I’m not even that sick after all..

jadesailor14 said:I read them too, like, super closely 😬
either because I'm just curious—or maybe because of this weird thing my brain does where I feel like I have to read every single letter on the page
I mean, whatever it is
I'll probably end up reading the fine print on a napkin at Starbucks 🤣

Same here—honestly 😁

fadedtrucker19 said:I’m pretty sure you’re one of the five people I know who actually bothers to read the manual before using something.

Put me on that list too... I haven't taken a single pill in my life—let alone given one to my kids—without reading the damn instructions first.

Karen Nguyen said:Every physician ought to be proficient in Latin, given that every doctor across America understands the language, which facilitates seamless communication during professional collaborations.

So, you have two doctors attempting to bridge a gap using Latin...🙏 😬

I still find myself unconvinced that there is a need for such heavy Latin usage in medical records. For instance—consider my own experience—I have certain diagnostic reports from ten years ago, specifically those from my ophthalmologists, and I sit there staring at them, unable to make sense of anything for half an hour. 😁 It is perfectly acceptable to ask for clarification if a term is unclear, certainly... but what of these historical records? When I wish to review my past medical history, I am left adrift because I cannot decipher what the doctor explained to me a decade ago.?!

The most illustrative scenarios occur following an X-ray, perhaps after breaking an arm. Imagine the sequence: they take the image, hand you a printed report containing the physician's assessment—written entirely in Latin, naturally—and in the frantic interval between the X-ray and being wrapped in a cast, I suffer a minor nervous breakdown simply trying to determine if that "contusio" means a break, a crack, or a bruise. 😬

To the esteemed doctors out there, and indeed to the old guard as well: rather than swearing by the sanctity and necessity of Latin as a universal tool for communication, why not simply provide a clear translation into plain American English right next to the Latin diagnosis??

There’s really just one reason for all this: we're obsessed with sounding English. Honestly, I'm already sick of seeing half the medical terms over here written in English by these wannabe doctors. Does "cat-scratch disease" somehow sound more sophisticated than just calling it what it is? Doesn't feel like it to me. Besides, any infectious disease specialist will know exactly what I mean if I just write "bartonellosis." But to your average person on the street, "bartonella" or some complicated infection name won't mean a damn thing...

Oh, and one more thing: did you guys actually realize that a referral letter is meant for the family doctor, not the patient?

Wait, wait, hold up—this guy wrote cat-scratch disease instead of BMO? 🤣
I actually can't even believe this

coastalrider94 said:So, it basically means two doctors are trying to communicate using Latin...🙏 😬

I still don't think they should use so much Latin. For instance, I have some medical records from ten years ago—especially from my ophthalmologists—and I look at them now and can't make heads or tails of anything, even after half an hour of staring. 😁 It's fine if you just ask for an explanation when something isn't clear... but what am I supposed to do with those old records? If I want to look back at what I was suffering from, I can't understand it because I've forgotten everything the doctor explained to me a decade ago.?!

The worst situations are always right after an X-ray, like when I break my arm. They take the image, hand me a piece of paper with the doctor's opinion, and of course, it's all written in Latin. In the time it takes to get from the X-ray room to the casting station, I could have a nervous breakdown just trying to figure out if that "contusio" means it's broken, cracked, bruised, or crushed. 😬

Dear doctors, and the rest of the old guard: instead of swearing by the sanctity and necessity of Latin as a communication tool, why don't you just provide a simple translation into plain English right next to the diagnosis??

Well, how else would you name the femur?
Or the medulla oblongata?
Or the medulla spinalis?
Many of these terms exist in other languages too, but they aren't used because even if I told you we were talking about the spinal cord, you might not know exactly where that is. Don't get me wrong, I don't know many of these terms either, but they simply don't have direct replacements. It's just easier to remember and use them this way; one specific word tells you exactly what it is.
How would you even name the Sulcus?
It’s just a tiny little groove. There are hundreds of them, and they all start with "sulcus" followed by some other descriptor.
Where exactly is the leg fracture? Everything is in Latin, and it makes it very easy to pinpoint the location once the term is mentioned.
Latin terms should be adapted to our native language, but you'll never be able to invent a perfect substitute for many Latin words that have been in use for hundreds of years.
Simply put, it's impossible. I don't understand a lot of things myself, but I realize you can't call a Sulcus anything else because that's what it is, and there is no alternative.

sulcus=groove
🙂

Grace Carter80 said:Sulcus means groove
🙂

It’s actually a furrow,
to be precise. 😉