Radiology & imaging Spanish

Spanish for radiology technicians: positioning, contrast, MRI safety, and breath-hold instructions for Spanish-speaking patients

Radiology is often a patient's first clinical contact in a hospital visit — and imaging techs are frequently the only clinician who interacts with the patient one-on-one, without a nurse or physician present. A Spanish-speaking patient who doesn't understand "take a deep breath and hold it" will ruin a chest X-ray. A patient who doesn't disclose their pacemaker because they didn't understand the safety question is a sentinel event waiting to happen. These are the phrases that protect patients, protect your images, and get patients through the scanner safely — in the language they actually understand.

X-ray positioning instructions

Positioning is the foundation of diagnostic quality. A patient who doesn't understand "chin up," "hold your breath," or "arms forward" produces repeat exposures and non-diagnostic images. These phrases cover the most common X-ray projections.

PA chest X-ray (standing)

• "Párese frente a este panel — el pecho contra el panel. Brazos a los lados, hombros hacia adelante." — Stand facing this panel — chest against the panel. Arms at sides, shoulders rolled forward.
• "Quiero que levante el mentón — la barbilla arriba, como si mirara al techo." — I want you to lift your chin — chin up, as if looking at the ceiling.
• "Cuando le diga, respire profundo — lo más que pueda — y aguante la respiración. No respire ni se mueva hasta que yo le diga. ¿Listo? Respire profundo… aguante… puede soltar." — When I say, breathe in deep — as much as you can — and hold your breath. Don't breathe or move until I say. Ready? Breathe in deep… hold… you can release.

Lateral chest (standing)

• "Ahora de lado — el lado izquierdo contra el panel. Levante los brazos y agárrese de la barra de arriba." — Now sideways — left side against the panel. Raise your arms and hold the bar above.
• "Pies juntos, quédese derecho. Misma cosa — respire profundo y aguante." — Feet together, stand straight. Same thing — breathe deep and hold.

AP supine (lying down)

• "Acuéstese boca arriba — espalda plana contra la camilla. Voy a poner la placa debajo de usted. Quédese quieto mientras coloco todo." — Lie on your back — flat against the stretcher. I'll put the plate under you. Stay still while I set up.
• "Brazos a los lados, no en el abdomen. Cuando le diga, respire profundo y aguante." — Arms at sides, not on the abdomen. When I say, breathe deep and hold.

Extremity X-rays (hand, wrist, foot)

• "Ponga la mano plana sobre la placa — los dedos extendidos, sin doblarlos." — Put your hand flat on the plate — fingers extended, don't curl them.
• "Ahora gire la mano — el pulgar hacia arriba, como si fuera a dar un apretón de manos." — Now rotate the hand — thumb up, as if giving a handshake.
• "Quédese completamente quieto — cualquier movimiento borrará la imagen y tendremos que repetirla." — Stay completely still — any movement will blur the image and we'll have to repeat it.

IV contrast for CT — explanation and allergy screen

IV contrast reactions range from mild flushing to anaphylaxis. The allergy screen in plain Spanish — not medical Spanish — is the single highest-stakes language task a radiology tech performs. "¿Es alérgico al yodo?" is not a reliable screen; many patients don't know what iodine is. Ask for prior reactions instead.

What contrast is and what to expect

• "Para este estudio vamos a inyectarle un líquido especial por la vena — se llama medio de contraste. Hace que algunos tejidos y vasos sanguíneos se vean mejor en las imágenes." — For this study we'll inject a special liquid through your vein — it's called contrast medium. It makes certain tissues and blood vessels show up better in the images.
• "Cuando lo inyectamos, va a sentir calor por todo el cuerpo — especialmente en la cara y el pecho. También puede sentir un sabor metálico o raro en la boca. Y muchos pacientes sienten que orinaron, aunque no hayan orinado — es normal. Todo esto dura solo unos 20 a 30 segundos." — When we inject it, you'll feel warmth throughout your body — especially in the face and chest. You may also feel a metallic or strange taste in your mouth. And many patients feel like they urinated, even though they haven't — that's normal. All of this lasts only about 20-30 seconds.

Allergy and reaction screen

• "Antes de poner el contraste, necesito hacerle unas preguntas de seguridad. ¿Alguna vez le han dado contraste para una tomografía o un estudio similar?" — Before giving the contrast, I need to ask you some safety questions. Have you ever been given contrast for a CT scan or similar study?
• "Si le han dado antes, ¿tuvo alguna reacción — comezón, urticaria, hinchazón en la cara, dificultad para respirar, o mareos?" — If you've had it before, did you have any reaction — itching, hives, facial swelling, difficulty breathing, or dizziness?
• "¿Tiene diabetes? ¿Toma metformina — una pastilla para el azúcar?" — Do you have diabetes? Do you take metformin — a blood sugar pill?
  Note: metformin requires a 48-hour hold after iodinated contrast in patients with renal impairment per ACR guidelines — flag for the radiologist.
• "¿Tiene problemas del riñón — lo han tratado por insuficiencia renal o diálisis?" — Do you have kidney problems — have you been treated for kidney failure or dialysis?

MRI safety screening

MRI safety screening is a regulatory requirement, not a courtesy. A patient with a ferromagnetic implant in a 1.5T or 3T bore is a life-threatening emergency. The safety screen is the last line of defense — and for Spanish-speaking patients, it must be done in a language the patient actually understands.

The four must-ask screens

• Metal implants: "¿Tiene algún metal dentro del cuerpo? Por ejemplo: marcapasos, desfibrilador, válvula del corazón, clip de aneurisma cerebral, implante coclear en el oído, bomba de medicamento implantada, o neuroestimulador." — Do you have any metal inside your body? For example: pacemaker, defibrillator, heart valve, brain aneurysm clip, cochlear implant in the ear, implanted medication pump, or neurostimulator.
• Surgical hardware: "¿Ha tenido alguna cirugía donde le pusieran clavos, placas, tornillos, grapas, alambres, o stents — en huesos, articulaciones, corazón, o arterias?" — Have you had any surgery where they put in nails, plates, screws, staples, wires, or stents — in bones, joints, the heart, or arteries?
• Metal workers / eye screen: "¿Ha trabajado con metal — limando, soldando, cortando, o taladrando — sin protección en los ojos? La resonancia usa un imán muy fuerte. Si hay metal en los ojos, el imán puede jalarlo y causar daño grave a la vista." — Have you worked with metal — filing, welding, cutting, or drilling — without eye protection? The MRI uses a very strong magnet. If there's metal in the eyes, the magnet can pull it and cause serious damage to vision.
• Pregnancy: "¿Existe alguna posibilidad de que esté embarazada? ¿Cuándo fue su último período menstrual?" — Is there any possibility you could be pregnant? When was your last menstrual period?
  MRI in the first trimester requires radiologist justification; gadolinium contrast is avoided unless the benefit clearly outweighs risk. Flag for the radiologist.

Before entering the room

• "Antes de entrar al cuarto del imán, voy a pedirle que se quite toda la joyería, aretes, piercings, horquillas, y reloj — incluyendo los que parecen pequeños o poco importantes. También el cinturón y las llaves." — Before entering the magnet room, I'll ask you to remove all jewelry, earrings, piercings, hair clips, and your watch — including ones that seem small or unimportant. Also your belt and keys.
• "¿Tiene parches en la piel — para el dolor, para dejar de fumar, para hormonas? Algunos parches tienen metal y pueden calentarse dentro del imán." — Do you have any skin patches — for pain, to quit smoking, for hormones? Some patches contain metal and can heat up inside the magnet.

Claustrophobia management

• "La resonancia hace un ruido muy fuerte — golpes, zumbidos, y chasquidos. Eso es normal — es la máquina trabajando. Voy a ponerle tapones y audífonos para que sea más tolerable." — The MRI makes a very loud noise — banging, buzzing, and clicking. That's normal — it's the machine working. I'll put in earplugs and headphones to make it more bearable.
• "Va a estar dentro de un tubo. Si en algún momento siente que no puede seguir, apriete este botón — yo lo voy a escuchar y detengo el estudio de inmediato. Usted tiene el control de cuándo para." — You'll be inside a tube. If at any point you feel you can't continue, press this button — I'll hear you and stop the study immediately. You control when to stop.

Oral contrast for CT abdomen/pelvis

• "Para este estudio necesita tomar este líquido de contraste oral — son dos vasos. Uno ahora, y el segundo vaso en 45 minutos. Luego hacemos el estudio." — For this study you need to drink this oral contrast liquid — two cups. One now, and the second cup in 45 minutes. Then we do the study.
• "El sabor puede ser un poco espeso. Tómelo despacio — no tiene que terminarlo de un trago." — The taste can be a little thick. Drink it slowly — you don't have to finish it all at once.
• "¿No ha comido ni bebido nada en las últimas cuatro horas — ni agua, ni jugo, ni café? Eso es importante para la calidad de las imágenes." — You haven't eaten or drunk anything in the last four hours — not water, juice, or coffee? That's important for image quality.

Fluoroscopy and special procedures

Barium swallow

• "Voy a pedirle que tome unos sorbos de este líquido blanco — se llama bario. Es espeso, como una malteada espesa. Cuando lo tome, las imágenes van a mostrar cómo pasa el líquido por su esófago y estómago." — I'll ask you to take a few sips of this white liquid — it's called barium. It's thick, like a thick milkshake. When you drink it, the images will show how the liquid passes through your esophagus and stomach.
• "Voy a necesitar que trague cuando le diga. Y que se quede completamente quieto por unos segundos mientras tomo la imagen. ¿Puede hacer eso?" — I'll need you to swallow when I say. And to stay completely still for a few seconds while I take the image. Can you do that?

Post-procedure instructions

• "El médico que ordenó el estudio le va a dar los resultados — no es algo que yo puedo hacer. Generalmente tarda entre 24 y 48 horas." — The doctor who ordered the study will give you the results — that's not something I can do. It usually takes 24-48 hours.
• "Si le pusimos contraste IV, tome mucha agua hoy — ayuda a los riñones a eliminar el contraste más rápido." — If we gave you IV contrast, drink plenty of water today — it helps the kidneys eliminate the contrast faster.

Disclaimer

ClinicaLingo is a language-training tool. It is not a substitute for a qualified medical interpreter for informed consent discussions, patient rights, or high-stakes safety communications. When in doubt, use your department's interpreter service. Language training is not medical interpretation.