fallo orgánico
/faʝo oɾɡaniko/from spelling rules
The English phrase "organ failure" is translated into Spanish as fallo orgánico.
Fallo orgánico refers to a medical condition where an organ in the body stops working correctly.
Which one should you use?
While fallo orgánico is a standard way to express the condition, the formal alternatives insuficiencia orgánica or insuficiencia de órganos (organ insufficiency) are often used in highly formal or clinical medical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural "organ failures", you must pluralize both the noun and the adjective to fallos orgánicos.
How do you pronounce it?
/faʝo oɾɡaniko/
Did you know?
- While fallo orgánico describes a biological breakdown, the word fallo is also the standard term used to describe a judge's final legal verdict. This creates a linguistic overlap between a medical disaster and a judicial decision.
- The word orgánico descends from the Ancient Greek órganon, which originally meant a tool or instrument.
- While fallo means 'failure' in medicine, in a sports context it often refers to a 'mistake' or a 'missed shot'. A player who misses a goal has committed a fallo.
Examples in context
- El paciente sufrió un fallo orgánico múltiple.The patient suffered multiple organ failure.
Example conversation
Two doctors discussing a patient's condition in a hospital.
- AlejandroElena, el paciente tiene un fallo orgánico renal.Elena, the patient has renal organ failure.
- ElenaLo siento, Alejandro. ¿Qué tratamiento vamos a usar?I'm sorry, Alejandro. What treatment are we going to use?
- AlejandroNecesitaremos diálisis inmediata para estabilizarlo.We will need immediate dialysis to stabilize him.
- ElenaDe acuerdo, prepararé todo el equipo ahora mismo.Alright, I will prepare all the equipment right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fallo, orgánico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
