Keep your English up to scratch! . . .
Philip Bastable Jean-Pierre Charpy Didier Carnet
Medical English Department, Dijon School of Medicine
didier.carnet@u-bourgogne.fr
Dear readers,
Are you ready to brush up your derma- tological English? It is our very great pleasure to present the twenty-sixth English corner based onBed bugs. Don't forget you can use a dictionary to help you with the text, and of course, you should visit our website at http://
anglaismedical.u-bourgogne.fr/ to work on your pronunciation or build your medical vocabulary. The site also includes a talking dictionary, medical videos, exercises, clinical cases, words and expressions for specialists. . .
1. Bed bugs
Bed bugs1are small insects that feed on2 blood from humans or animals. They can live in your bed, furniture3, carpets, clothing, and other belongings4. They are mainly active at night, when they feed on people while they're asleep.
Once established, bed bugs form colo- nies where clusters5of adults, juveniles, and eggs can be found. After feeding, the bugs detach from the host and crawl6 back to the colony, which is commonly in or near the bed. Nonetheless, these colonies, or harbourage7areas, may be in your luggage8or furniture and even in your electrical sockets9 or laptop10. Infestation is not due to a lack of cleanliness11; your home may become infested by bringing in second-hand furniture, for example, or you may pick up12 bugs in your clothing when you stay in an infested hotel. The bugs can even travel along piping13 or other conduits from one apartment to another.
People respond to bites14 in different ways, ranging from a very mild15almost invisible reaction (20–70%), to small
macular spots16, and even to pro- nounced wheals17and blisters18, which are accompanied by intense itching19or a burning sensation that may last20for several days. Bed bug bites can some- times be distinguished from other bites (mosquitoes, spiders, fleas21) because they frequently occur in a line, some- times referred to as ``breakfast, lunch, and dinner''. In addition, bed bugs rarely feed in the armpit22or behind the knee, but on more exposed areas such as the shoulders, arms, neck and face. A central spot of bleeding, caused by the release23 of anticoagulants in the insect's saliva, may be visible. Symp- toms may not occur immediately after the bites and may take several days to appear, and in certain cases, bites can trigger24an allergic reaction. Generally speaking, if it is the first time you've been bitten the symptoms will be rather mild, but sensitisation25 follow- ing multiple bites will trigger a more severe reaction.
Unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs don't transmit infectious diseases, but compli- cations may arise26 if the bites are scratched27. Scratching may lead to skin breakdown28and subsequent infection with skin-living bacteria. Washing the area of the bite with soap29and water or applying an antiseptic cream can reduce the risk of infection, but if an infection,
cellulitis, does occur it should be dealt with30 promptly and properly using topical or oral antibiotics.
Symptoms of infection include pain and tenderness31that radiates from the site of the bite, redness, swelling32, red streaks33 or spots near the area of the bite and warm skin.
In most cases, bedbug bites get better within a week or two. As mentioned above, it is important not to scratch the bites, and the itching can be relieved by applying crotamiton cream, calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream or oint- ment34and antihistamine tablets35.
1. insect (= punaise) 2. drink (= se nourrir de)
3. tables, chairs. . . (= meubles, mobilier)
4. personal effects (= effets person- nels)
5. groups (= colonies)
6. creep (= se traîner, ramper) 7. safe place (= refuge)
8. suitcases, bags. . .(= bagages) 9. electrical outlet (= prise
electrique)
10. portable computer (= ordina- teur portable)
11. hygiene (= hygiène, proprete) 12. inadvertently collect (= attra- per, choper)
13. water pipes (= tuyauterie) 14. skin puncture (= piqûre) 15. not severe (= leger)
16. small raised mark (= bouton) 17. red raised patch of skin (=
papule)
18. vesicle (= ampoule, vesicule)) 19. desire to scratch (=
demangeaison) 20. continue (= durer)
21. bloodsucking insect (= puce) 22. axillary area (= aisselle) 23. production (= liberation) 24. cause (= declencher)
25. increased sensitivity (= sensi- bilisation)
26. occur (= survenir) 27. rub vigorously (= gratter) 28. degradation of skin (=
degradation des tissus cutanes) 29. cleansing substance (= savon) 30. treated (= soigne, pris en charge)
doi:10.1684/dm.2019.209
316 DermatoMag- N84 - octobre-novembre-decembre - 2019
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English corner
31. sensitivity to touch (=
sensibilite au toucher)
32. oedema (= gonflement,œdème) 33. line (= zebrure)
34. unguent (= pommade) 35. pill (= comprime)
2. Traduisez les phrases suivantes.
Attention, certains mots anglais ne se mettent pas au pluriel et d’autres ont un pluriel irregulier.
1. N'oubliez pas vos bagages quand vous parteza l'etranger.
2. Des bacteries peuvent se developper après des piqûres d'insectes.
3. J'adore les meubles que vous avez achetes ; où les avez-vous trouves ? 4. Avez-vous ete pique par des mous- tiques en Afrique ?
5. Je vais vous donner quelques con- seils.
6. Ces grains de beaute sont benins : ce n'est pas la peine de les retirer.
7. Je vais vous donner quelques renseignements sur les punaises de lit.
3. Traduisez les mots suivants en anglais. Ils commencent tous par le mot«bed».
1. chambre
2. punaise de lit 3. alite, grabataire 4. literie
5. escarre
6. toilette d'un malade
7. table de chevet, table de nuit 8. soins au chevet du malade
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