Medical Report Terms: Arabic–English Glossary
Why Medical Reports Need Exact Terms
This Arabic–English glossary of medical report terms is for patients, families, HR teams and insurance staff who read medical reports, discharge summaries, sick leave certificates and insurance letters in one language and need to understand them in the other. Each term has the Arabic commonly used in UAE hospitals and insurer documents and a short note.
Literal translation is risky in medicine for three reasons. Reports are full of abbreviations (BID, PRN, SOB, R/O) that an untrained translator either leaves out or expands wrongly. Many words have a medical meaning different from their everyday meaning: "impression" is the doctor’s conclusion, "negative" is good news, and "unremarkable" means normal. And small slips have real effects: a dose, a laterality (left or right) or a date of sick leave changed in translation can affect treatment, an insurance claim or an employment decision.
If the report is going to an insurer, see also medical report translation for insurance.
The Parts of a Medical Report
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Medical report | تقرير طبي | A letter or form summarising a patient’s condition, signed and stamped by the doctor or facility. |
| Chief complaint | الشكوى الرئيسية | Why the patient came, in the patient’s words. |
| History of present illness | تاريخ المرض الحالي | Often abbreviated HPI. |
| Past medical history | التاريخ المرضي السابق | PMH. Surgical history: التاريخ الجراحي. |
| Family / social history | التاريخ العائلي / الاجتماعي | Smoking status is usually in the social history. |
| Allergies | الحساسية | NKDA (no known drug allergies): لا توجد حساسية معروفة من الأدوية. |
| Clinical examination | الفحص السريري | Unremarkable means normal: طبيعي / لا يوجد ما يُذكر. |
| Vital signs | العلامات الحيوية | Blood pressure ضغط الدم, pulse النبض, temperature الحرارة. |
| Investigations | الفحوصات | Laboratory tests الفحوصات المخبرية, imaging الفحوصات الإشعاعية. |
| Impression / assessment | الانطباع / التقييم | The doctor’s conclusion, not an "impression" in the everyday sense. |
| Plan | الخطة العلاجية | Treatment and follow-up steps. |
Diagnosis and Condition
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis | التشخيص | Final diagnosis: التشخيص النهائي. |
| Provisional diagnosis | التشخيص المبدئي | Not yet confirmed. |
| Differential diagnosis | التشخيص التفريقي | The list of possibilities still being considered. |
| Rule out (R/O) | لاستبعاد | "R/O fracture" means a fracture is being excluded, not that there is one. |
| Acute / chronic | حاد / مزمن | Chronic conditions matter for insurance cover; translate exactly. |
| Benign / malignant | حميد / خبيث | Never soften or strengthen. |
| Positive / negative (test) | إيجابي / سلبي | A negative test usually means the condition was not found. |
| Prognosis | المآل / التوقعات المرضية | Expected course of the illness. |
| ICD-10 code | رمز التصنيف الدولي للأمراض (ICD-10) | Copy codes exactly; insurers match them against the claim. |
| Left / right / bilateral | الأيسر / الأيمن / في الجانبين | Laterality errors are among the most serious translation mistakes. |
Hospital Stay and Procedures
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient / inpatient | مراجع العيادات الخارجية / مريض منوَّم | In the Gulf, التنويم is the usual word for admission. |
| Emergency department | قسم الطوارئ | ER visit report: تقرير زيارة الطوارئ. |
| Admission / discharge | الدخول (التنويم) / الخروج | Dates of both matter for claims and sick leave. |
| Discharge summary | ملخص الخروج | The key document after a hospital stay: diagnosis, procedures, medication on discharge, follow-up. |
| Intensive care unit (ICU) | وحدة العناية المركزة | Length of ICU stay is often asked for by insurers. |
| Procedure / surgery | إجراء / عملية جراحية | Operative report: تقرير العملية. |
| Anaesthesia (general / local) | التخدير (العام / الموضعي) | |
| Informed consent | الإقرار بالموافقة المستنيرة | Signed before procedures. |
| Referral | التحويل / الإحالة | Referral letter: خطاب تحويل. |
| Follow-up | المتابعة | Follow-up in two weeks: مراجعة بعد أسبوعين. |
Medication, Sick Leave and Fitness
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription | وصفة طبية | In a legal text "prescription" can mean a limitation period (التقادم); context decides. |
| Dose / dosage | الجرعة | Copy units (mg, mcg, mL) exactly; mg and mcg differ a thousandfold. |
| Frequency abbreviations (OD, BID, TID, PRN) | مرة يومياً، مرتين يومياً، ثلاث مرات يومياً، عند الحاجة | Expand them; never leave Latin abbreviations unexplained for a patient. |
| Route (oral, IV, IM) | عن طريق الفم، وريدي، عضلي | |
| Sick leave | إجازة مرضية | State the exact dates and number of days as written on the certificate. |
| Sick leave certificate | شهادة إجازة مرضية | Sick leave from abroad usually needs attestation and translation; see overseas sick leave translation. |
| Fit / unfit to work | لائق / غير لائق للعمل | Light duties: أعمال خفيفة. |
| Medical fitness certificate | شهادة اللياقة الطبية | Used for residence, employment or licensing. |
| Medical committee / board | اللجنة الطبية | Assesses disability, fitness or long sick leave. |
| Disability percentage | نسبة العجز | Permanent / temporary: دائم / مؤقت. |
Insurance Terms
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-approval / prior authorisation | الموافقة المسبقة | Insurer approval before a planned treatment. |
| Claim / reimbursement | المطالبة / استرداد المصاريف | Reimbursement claims usually need itemised invoices and the medical report. |
| Co-payment / deductible | نسبة التحمل / المبلغ المقتطع | Keep percentages exactly. |
| Pre-existing condition | حالة مرضية سابقة | Wording here can decide cover; translate the doctor’s exact words. |
| Exclusion | الاستثناءات | Conditions or treatments the policy does not cover. |
| Network / out of network | الشبكة / خارج الشبكة | Healthcare providers contracted with the insurer. |
| Itemised invoice | فاتورة مفصلة | Each line translated; totals must match. |
Common Mistakes in Medical Report Translation
- Abbreviations left out or guessed. If an abbreviation is unclear, a careful translator flags it rather than invents an expansion.
- R/O read as a confirmed diagnosis. "Rule out" means the opposite.
- Left and right swapped. Every laterality is checked against the source.
- Units changed. mg, mcg, mL and IU are copied, not converted.
- Sick leave dates miscounted. Dates and the number of days are copied exactly, including whether the last day is included.
- Stamps and signatures ignored. Translations note the doctor’s stamp, the facility stamp and the signature, because insurers and employers look for them.
What is a discharge summary in Arabic?
ملخص الخروج. It summarises the hospital stay: diagnosis, procedures, medication on discharge and follow-up instructions. Insurers and employers often ask for it.
How do you say sick leave in Arabic?
إجازة مرضية, and the certificate is شهادة إجازة مرضية. Keep the dates and the number of days exactly as written.
What does "impression" mean on a radiology report?
The radiologist’s conclusion (الانطباع or الخلاصة). It is the part most readers need, so it is translated with particular care.
Do insurers in the UAE accept a translated medical report from abroad?
Many insurers ask for reports in Arabic or English and may need a certified translation for other languages. Check with your insurer, and see our insurance claim translation page.
Can I use this glossary to understand my own medical report?
Yes, as a guide to the terms. It does not replace your doctor’s explanation, and a report you will submit to an insurer, employer or authority should be translated by a professional translator.
How much does medical report translation cost?
Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available for many documents. Most medical reports and sick leave certificates are one or two pages.
How SWLT Helps
We translate medical reports, discharge summaries, sick leave certificates, prescriptions and insurance documents between Arabic and English, and we provide medical interpreters for appointments. See medical reports translation.
Disclaimer
This glossary is a language reference, not medical or legal advice. Medical terms depend on context, and only the treating doctor can explain your diagnosis or treatment. Insurer and authority requirements change; confirm them with the insurer, employer or authority concerned.
Get Your Medical Report Translated
Send us the report and tell us who will receive it (insurer, employer, school or authority). Smart World Legal Translation – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. (SWLT) is a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation company in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led by Dr. Hani Elimam. Our federal accreditation is accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts, and we hold exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution. Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available for many documents. Send us the document on WhatsApp (+971 50 864 8439), email info@swlt.ae, or use our contact page.