Medical Emergencies

By Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: September 17, 2003

This is Phoebe Zimmermann with the VOA Special English Health Report.
Would you recognize a medical emergency? The American College of Emergency Physicians says it is important for everyone to know the warning signs. This group is a professional organization for doctors who work in hospital emergency departments.
It says one of the warning signs to seek medical treatment is a sudden or severe pain that does not go away. This includes pain in the stomach, chest or head. Doctors say to seek treatment if you feel as though you have the worst headache you have ever had. It could mean internal bleeding from a broken 1)artery¹ in the head.
Severe stomach pain could be a sign of 2)appendicitis². Severe chest or back pain could be a sign of a heart attack.
Another warning sign of a medical emergency is difficulty breathing. This could mean a heart condition, or a hole or 3)blockage³ in a lung.
Still another sign is a change in mental ability. A person who suddenly is confused, loses memory or cannot be awakened⁴ from sleep should be taken to a hospital immediately. These can be signs of a stroke or infection.
The doctors say uncontrolled bleeding from any kind of wound calls for professional care. So does coughing or 4)vomiting blood. Bringing up blood into the mouth suggests bleeding within the body. Extremely dark bowel⁶ movements can also be a sign of internal bleeding.
Other signs of a medical emergency include losing consciousness⁷ or becoming 5)dizzy and weak. These can mean a person is suffering a stroke or damage from a head injury. Another sign of a possible stroke is a sudden change in vision or speech.
The emergency physicians group says if you or someone you know develops any of these signs, go to a hospital as soon as possible. In the words of its information, "Seconds Save Lives."
The group also offers some suggestions about ways to prevent medical emergencies. One is to always use a seat belt in motor vehicles, or a 6)helmet when bicycling. Another suggestion is to not smoke cigarettes. The doctors also suggest a sensible diet of healthy foods and not much alcohol.
The American College of Emergency Physicians has other health advice on its Web site. The address is www.acep.org.
This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. This is Phoebe Zimmermann.

注释：
1) artery [5B:tEri] n.动脉
2) appendicitis [E7pendi5saitis] n.阑尾炎
3) blockage [5blCkidV] n.阻塞
4) vomit⁵ [5vRmit] v.吐出，呕吐
5) dizzy [5dizi] adj.晕眩的
6) helmet [5helmit] n.头盔，钢盔

1 artery   

n.干线，要道；动脉

参考例句：

• We couldn't feel the changes in the blood pressure within the artery.我们无法感觉到动脉血管内血压的变化。
• The aorta is the largest artery in the body.主动脉是人体中的最大动脉。

2 appendicitis   

n.阑尾炎，盲肠炎

参考例句：

• He came down with appendicitis.他得了阑尾炎。
• Acute appendicitis usually develops without relation to the ingestion of food.急性阑尾炎的发生通常与饮食无关。

3 blockage   

n.障碍物；封锁

参考例句：

• The logical treatment is to remove this blockage.合理的治疗方法就是清除堵塞物。
• If the blockage worked,they could retreat with dignity.如果封锁发生作用，他们可以体面地撤退。

4 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

6 bowel   

n.肠(尤指人肠)；内部，深处

参考例句：

• Irritable bowel syndrome seems to affect more women than men.女性比男性更易患肠易激综合征。
• Have you had a bowel movement today?你今天有排便吗？

7 consciousness   

n.意识，觉悟，知觉

参考例句：

• The experience helped to change her social consciousness.这种经验有助于改变她的社会意识。
• He lost consciousness at the first whiff of ether.他一嗅到乙醚便失去了知觉。