Module 4 of 12 · 急诊中文 Emergency Medicine
呼吸困难 Breathing: Asthma, COPD and Oxygen
Talk with a breathless patient in Mandarin: questions they can nod to, oxygen and nebulizers explained, slow breathing, COPD and clots.
By the end of this module you can…
- Hear how short of breath a patient is from how much they can say, and ask yes-or-no questions.
- Ask about asthma and COPD: the inhaler today, past attacks, triggers and home oxygen.
- Explain oxygen, the nebulizer and the BiPAP mask in short, calm sentences.
- Coach slow breathing, and help a frightened patient keep the mask on.
- Ask the questions that point to the heart or a clot, and report them at once.
Key vocabulary
Sixteen words from this module. Tap the speaker to hear each one.
Breathing trouble
- 喘不上气chuǎn bu shàng qìCan’t catch one’s breath
- 哮鸣音xiào míng yīnWheeze (on the chart)
- 痰tánPhlegm
- 嘴唇发紫zuǐ chún fā zǐBlue lips
- 坐起来zuò qǐ laiTo sit up
- 哮喘xiào chuǎnAsthma
- 慢阻肺màn zǔ fèiCOPD
- 腿肿tuǐ zhǒngSwollen legs
Oxygen and treatment
- 吸氧xī yǎngTo breathe oxygen
- 鼻导管bí dǎo guǎnNasal cannula
- 面罩miàn zhàoMask (oxygen, BiPAP)
- 雾化wù huàNebulizer treatment
- 吸入器xī rù qìInhaler
- 储雾罐chǔ wù guànSpacer
- 激素jī sùSteroid
- 呼吸机hū xī jīBreathing machine (ventilator, BiPAP)
Ten core phrases
The lines from this module’s take-home phrase sheet. In the course you can print them on one page for your pocket.
- 别说话，点头或者摇头就行。Bié shuō huà, diǎn tóu huò zhě yáo tóu jiù xíng.Don’t talk. Just nod or shake your head.
- 您坐起来，往前靠。Nín zuò qǐ lai, wǎng qián kào.Sit up and lean forward.
- 今天喷了几次药？最后一次是什么时候？Jīn tiān pēn le jǐ cì yào? Zuì hòu yí cì shì shén me shí hou?How many times today? When was the last?
- 以前因为喘住过院吗？插过管吗？Yǐ qián yīn wèi chuǎn zhù guo yuàn ma? Chā guo guǎn ma?Ever admitted for your breathing? A breathing tube?
- 我给您吸点氧，这两个小管放在鼻孔里。Wǒ gěi nín xī diǎn yǎng, zhè liǎng ge xiǎo guǎn fàng zài bí kǒng lǐ.Some oxygen: these two tubes go in your nostrils.
- 这是雾化，用嘴呼吸就行，大概十分钟。Zhè shì wù huà, yòng zuǐ hū xī jiù xíng, dà gài shí fēn zhōng.A nebulizer: breathe through your mouth, about ten minutes.
- 可能会心跳快、手有点抖，这是药的作用。Kě néng huì xīn tiào kuài, shǒu yǒu diǎn dǒu, zhè shì yào de zuò yòng.Racing heart, shaky hands: that’s the medicine.
- 用鼻子吸气，嘴唇撅起来，像吹口哨一样，慢慢呼出来。Yòng bí zi xī qì, zuǐ chún juē qǐ lai, xiàng chuī kǒu shào yí yàng, màn màn hū chū lai.In through the nose, then out slowly through pursed lips.
- 晚上能平躺着睡觉吗？腿肿不肿？Wǎn shang néng píng tǎng zhe shuì jiào ma? Tuǐ zhǒng bu zhǒng?Can you sleep flat? Are your legs swollen?
- 更喘了就马上告诉我。Gèng chuǎn le jiù mǎ shàng gào su wǒ.Tell me right away if your breathing gets worse.
What’s in Module 4
- Part 1 · Warm-UpWarm-Up: Breathless Days
- Part 2 · The Words for BreathingReading the PinyinSaying 喘不上气 vs. Charting 呼吸困难Vocabulary · Flash CardsCan They Finish a Sentence?
- Part 3 · The Breathing QuestionsThe Asthma Attack ScriptSince When, How Often, How Bad BeforeKey PatternsInhalers and Spacers
- Part 4 · Oxygen and TreatmentOxygen: The Tube and the MaskThe NebulizerBreathing TogetherThe BiPAP Mask
- Part 5 · Beyond AsthmaCOPD and Home OxygenNot Only the Lungs: Heart and ClotsWhat Patients SayPutting It Together
- Part 6 · Role-PlayRound 1 · Guided ConversationRound 2 · Controlled PracticeRounds 3, 4 & 5 · Independent
- Part 7 · Knowledge CheckModule 4 Knowledge Check
- Part 8 · Wrap-UpModule 4 HomeworkTake-Home Phrase SheetModule 4 Wrap-Up · 下次见
Practice it properly
The full module adds dialogues, role-plays, pronunciation drills and a Knowledge Check. Pass the check to earn a certificate of completion you can add to LinkedIn.