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sub-occlusion intestinale

English translation: partial occlusion of the intestine

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	sub-occlusion intestinale
English translation:	partial occlusion of the intestine
Entered by:	Amy Christie

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15:40 Sep 3, 2006

French to English translations [PRO]
Medical - Medical (general) / medical report

French term or phrase: sub-occlusion intestinale

Occlusion intestinale = intestinal blockage

Not sure about 'sub' and how to fit this in.

'La patiente avait été hospitalisée en urgence dans notre service de chirugie le (date) dans un tableau de sub-occlusion intestinale, qui s'était amendé de facon progessive et spontanée sous traitment médical.

Any help much appreciated!

Amy Christie KudoZ activity Questions: 642 (2 open) (14 without valid answers) (3 closed without grading) Answers: 44 United Kingdom
Local time: 05:06

partial occlusion of the intestine

Explanation:
Partial occlusion outgoogles subocclusion 3:1.
Again, English medical literature will often opt for less "technical" sounding language. This is a trend championed in 1976 by the then editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, F.J. Ingelfinger.
See Ingelfinger FJ - N Engl J Med - 4-MAR-1976; 294(10): 546-7 "Obfuscation in Medical Writing"

Selected response from:

Michael Barnett
Local time: 00:06

Grading comment

Thank you all so much for this help - it is very much appreciated.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +3

partial occlusion of the intestine

Michael Barnett

partial intestinal obstruction

falingo

5 -1

subileus

Cetacea

intestinal sub-occlusion

SwissTell

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

11 mins confidence:

intestinal sub-occlusion

Explanation:
just reverse the order of words and you'll do fine.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2006-09-03 15:53:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

[Intestinal subocclusion caused by lymphoma of the small intestine]Primitive gastrointestinal lymphomas constitute a rare pathological event, may involve any part of t...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubM... - Similar pages

[Intestinal sub-occlusion caused by chronic caudal pancreatitis]The authors present a case of intestinal subocclusion due to chronic pancreatitis and peripancreatit...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubM...

SwissTell
Local time: 00:06
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 8

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

subileus

Explanation:
"sub-occlusion intestinale" is an incomplete obstruction of the small or large intestine. Since a complete obstruction is an ileus, an incomplete one is a subileus. Nice and short... ;-)

Reference: http://www.lifescience-zurich.ch/knowledge/askus.asp?id=135&...

Cetacea
Switzerland
Local time: 06:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 11

39 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

partial occlusion of the intestine

Michael Barnett
Local time: 00:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 539

Grading comment

Thank you all so much for this help - it is very much appreciated.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

xxxsarahl

8 mins

-> Thanks Sarah! :-)

agree

Lingua Danica: excellent

17 mins

-> Thank you LD! :-)

agree

Rachel Fell: though don't you thnk English is a bit like that anyway, Ingelfinger or no Ingelfinger?!

35 mins

-> Thanks Rachel. Many of the suggestions offered here sound pretentious and strange to my ear, though technically correct. This is simply because I am not used to seeing such language in English medical literature, thanks to leaders like Ingelfinger.

agree

Michael Lotz: agree with you. see also my response to asker's question on word preferences.

47 mins

-> Thanks Michael!

disagree

falingo: In general, in medical English, one uses 'occlusion' for arteries and 'obstruction' for intestines and airway. 'Partial bowel obstruction' is, therefore, a more correct translation of 'sub-occlusion intestinale'. However, there is a caveat. See my post.

2158 days

-> Hi falingo. Your comment has reached me about 6 years after the fact. I'd like to see your post.

2159 days confidence:

partial intestinal obstruction

Explanation:
The difficulty with translating terms often stems from the non-equivalence between terms that are considered to represent each other’s counterpart in the medical jargon of two languages. One example is that of ‘occlusion intestinale’ (French) and ileus (English).

In the English-speaking medical world, one describes two types of intestinal obstructions, mechanical and non-mechanical:
a. Mechanical obstructions occur because the bowel is physically blocked and its contents cannot pass the point of the obstruction, such as in volvulus, hernias, impacted feces, abnormal tissue growth, foreign bodies in the intestines, synechiae, etc. Mechanical obstruction is further divided (in both the English- and French-speaking worlds) into subtypes according to the mechanism of obstruction (i.e., intraluminal obstruction or strangulation, which are, in turn, further subdivided in more specific pathological entities).
b. Unlike mechanical obstruction, non-mechanical obstruction (a.k.a. ileus or paralytic ileus, and less frequently referred to as intestinal atony) occurs because peristalsis stops or decreases. To be termed "paralytic ileus", the intestinal paralysis does not need to be complete, but it must be sufficient so that the reduced perstalsis prohibit the passage of food through the intestine leading to stasis. It is most often associated with peritonitis, bowel ischemia, gastrointestinal surgery, or drugs that block or reduce the physiological motility of the intestines (e.g., opiates or antimuscarinics).

Thus, it is essential to understand that ileus in English refers exclusively to the sub-category of non-mechanical intestinal obstruction. In counter distinction, the French term ‘occlusion intestinale’ encompasses intestinal obstruction of both types, mechanical and non-mechanical (or ‘paralytic’). In conclusion, not every ‘occlusion intestinale’ is ileus, but every ileus is covered by ‘occlusion intestinale’.

As intestinal obstruction (of all causes) may be complete or partial, ‘occlusion intestinale’ in French is also subdivided, accordingly, into
1. ‘occlusion intestinale (complète)’ and
2. ‘sub-occlusion intestinale’ (= occlusion intestinale qui n’est pas complète et qui peut être intermittente). But since ‘occlusion intestinale’ is not an accurate term for ileus, it follows that ‘subocclusion intestinale’ is an equivalent of subileus only when intestinal obstruction is non-mechanical (‘paralytic’) in nature / mechanism.
Thus, the perfect translator has no choice but to become an active user of medical language (i.e., a medical writer and publishing author knowledgeable of pathophysiology), or else fail at his / her task.

Also please mind that, ‘obstruction’ and ‘occlusion’ are used with reference to hollow conduits somewhat discrepantly in English and French. In English one uses ‘obstruction’ for intestines, bronchi, urinary tract, and other tubular organs, whereas ‘occlusion’ is used for vessels (arteries, veins). In partial counter distinction, the French language uses ‘occlusion’ for bowels and vessels
http://georges.dolisi.free.fr/Terminologie/O/occlusion.htm
while ‘obstruction’ is used with reference to airway / bronchi
http://www.croixrouge.ca/cmslib/general/transcript_back_blow...
and urinary tract
http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/4871/1/javard_4871.pdf

Cited English language articles that (erroneously) use ‘intestinal subocclusion’ , such as
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7046973?dopt=Abstract
and
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6453364?dopt=Abstract
quoted by SwissTell, are mere transliterations from Italian, French, Romanian, etc, by authors whose native language is not English.

In conclusion:
1. Occlusion intestinale = intestinal obstruction;
2. Occlusion intestinale (de type iléus paralytique) = paralytic ileus (or simply ‘ileus’);
3. Sub-occlusion intestinale = partial (or incomplete) intestinal obstruction;
4. Sub-occlusion intestinale = subileus (but only in the context of non-mechanical obstruction).

I hope it helps,

Chris B. Teszler, M.D.
Otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, pharmacologist

falingo
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English

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English translation: partial occlusion of the intestine

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English translation: partial occlusion of the intestine

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