In the translation of medical documents, ignoring professional terms will not only lead to deviations in understanding, but may also cause serious consequences, and even endanger patient safety or cause legal disputes. The following is the specific cause and impact analysis： --- ### **1. Requirements for the accuracy of technical terms** Medical terms are highly standardized and unique, and many terms (such as disease, drug, and anatomical structure names) are irreplaceable in a specific context. For example： - **Confusion of terms**: mistranslating “thrombosis” as “hemorrhage" may mislead treatment options. -**Dosage error**: Incorrect translation of the drug name or dosage unit (such as “mg” and “mcg”) may cause medication accidents. - **Diagnostic ambiguity**: For example, the mistranslation of “benign” and “malignant” may completely change the patient's understanding of the condition. --- ### **2. Industry norms and legal risks** -**Compliance requirements**: Medical documents must comply with international standards (such as the WHO glossary, ICD classification of Diseases) and regional regulations. Terminology errors may cause the document to be deemed invalid. -**Legal accountability**: If translation errors lead to misdiagnosis or treatment errors, the translator or institution may face legal proceedings. --- ### **3. The complexity of interdisciplinary knowledge** Medical texts often involve multiple disciplines (such as pharmacology, pathology, and imaging). For example： -**Abbreviations and symbols**: such as “CXR” (chest X-ray), "q. d. ”(Once a day) needs to be accurately restored. -**Specific expressions**: Such as “negative prognosis” (poor prognosis), it is necessary to avoid literal translation as “negative prediction”. --- ### **4. The challenge of cultural and language differences** -**Regional terminology differences**: For example, “paracetamol” (paracetamol) in English is “acetaminophen” in American English. -**Patient communication disorders**: If the terms of the translated document read by the patient are inaccurate, the doctor's instructions or examination results may be misunderstood. --- ### **5. Solutions and best practices** -**Termbases and tools**: Use professional medical termbases (such as MedDRA, SNOMED CT) and CAT tools (such as MemoQ, Trados) to ensure consistency. -**Expert review**: Double verification by an interpreter or doctor with a medical background. -**Context verification**: Adjust the applicability of terms based on the purpose of the document (such as medical records, drug instructions, research papers). -**Continuous training**: Translators need to update their medical knowledge regularly and pay attention to new drugs and new technology terminology. --- ###**Conclusion** In medical translation, professional terminology is the core pillar of information transmission. Ignoring the accuracy of terminology will not only lead to distortion of content, but may also have irreversible effects on patient health, medical decision-making, and legal compliance. Therefore, the accuracy of translation must be ensured through professional processes, technical tools, and interdisciplinary collaboration.