ictus
medical, Spain
The medical word for a stroke is ictus, common in Spain. In Latin America people say derrame cerebral, and the formal term is accidente cerebrovascular.
Meaning: sudden loss of blood flow to the brain (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ictus | medical, Spain |
| derrame cerebral | everyday, Latin America |
| accidente cerebrovascular | medical, formal |
Hospitals and news reports in Spain use ictus. Across Latin America derrame cerebral is the usual everyday phrase, while accidente cerebrovascular appears in clinical writing.
What does it mean word for word?
Accidente cerebrovascular is built from accidente (event), cerebro (brain) and vascular (of the blood vessels).
How does it change in a sentence?
Ictus does not change in the plural, so you say un ictus and dos ictus.
Did you know?
- The abbreviation ACV for accidente cerebrovascular is widely used in Latin American hospitals.
Examples in context
- Mi abuelo sufrió un ictus el año pasado.My grandfather had a stroke last year.
- Ella tuvo un derrame cerebral.She had a stroke.
- El paciente llegó con un accidente cerebrovascular.The patient arrived with a stroke.
Example conversation
Laura asks a nurse about her father in a hospital hallway.
- LauraEnfermera, ¿cómo está mi padre?Nurse, how is my father?
- EnfermeraTuvo un ictus, pero está estable.He had a stroke, but he is stable.
- LauraGracias por avisarme.Thank you for telling me.
