English for Nurses: The complications of measles

Part 1 - Vocabulary: wellness and wellbeing

Listen to the pronunciation of these terms at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WBOWL4HlI_s. Make a note of any terms you don't know.

• measles
• rubeola
• opportunistic infection
• macular rash
• Koplik’s spots
• febrile convulsions
• encephalitis
• subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)
• conjunctivitis
• keratitis
• corneal ulcer
• corneal scarring
• xerophthalmia or dry eye
• otitis media
• middle ear infection
• laryngotracheobronchitis or croup
• pneumonitis
• measles-associated pneumonia

Do you know these medical prefixes and suffixes?

Part 2 - Match the terms from the vocabulary list with their correct meanings

Part 3 - Listening

Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pvKcH7yMBM and complete the text. Check your answers with the transcript.

You’re going to watch a video of a discussion between a nurse and a parent of a young child. The parent has heard about potential complications of the measles infection and wants more information about them.

Nurse: Hi Karl. I understand you're concerned about the potential complications of ________________ and want to have some more information about them.

Parent: Yes. That’s right. I've heard measles can be serious, but I'm not sure about the specific risks. I’d like to find out more about it, because I have a young daughter and I don’t want her to be exposed to any danger.

Nurse: Certainly. I can appreciate why you want to understand what complications the ______________ might cause some people. As you might already know, measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease that’s caused by a ______________. It spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Parent: Right.

Nurse: While many people recover without any problems, measles can lead to several complications, especially in young children and _____________ over 20.

Parent: OK. So, what kind of complications are you talking about?

Nurse: Measles complications can affect various systems in the body, including the Ear Nose and Throat, ______________, neurological, eye and gastrointestinal systems.

Parent: It sounds like there could be a lot of complications. What do you mean exactly?

Nurse: Let’s take ENT and respiratory complications first. Measles can cause _____________________ infections that can result in hearing loss if they aren’t treated. Respiratory diseases such as measles-related pneumonia and croup can cause breathing _________________. In fact, measles-related pneumonia is a leading cause of measles-related deaths in children.

Parent: That’s very concerning. You mentioned neurological complications. What are they?

Nurse: Encephalitis or brain inflammation occurs in about 1 out of every 1,000 measles cases. It can develop either during or after a measles infection and can cause permanent __________ damage.
Another rare type of encephalitis, called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, can develop between 6 and 15 years after a measles infection. This type of encephalitis destroys _______________________ in the brain and is almost always fatal.

Parent: That sounds terrible, but at least it’s rare.

Nurse: Yes, that’s right. The next group of complications are ocular diseases or eye-related. Two _______________________ that may occur with a measles infection are keratitis and xerophthalmia. The first, keratitis, is the inflammation of the _____________ or protective layer of the eye. This can lead to corneal scarring and potential vision impairment.

Parent: I see.

Nurse: The other eye disease is called xerophthalmia or _________________. It’s a condition linked to vitamin A deficiency. If it’s untreated, it can cause night blindness or total blindness in severe cases.*

Parent: You also mentioned gastrointestinal complications?

Nurse: Yes. Diarrhoea with a measles infection is quite common. As you probably know, this can result in ____________________ if it’s severe enough. Measles can also cause stomatitis or inflammation inside the mouth, making eating and drinking difficult and _____________________.

Parent: All of these complications are very worrying. I had no idea that measles was such a serious infection.

Nurse: Well, measles is a highly contagious, viral infection with potentially serious outcomes. Many people don’t realise the possible _____________________ of the infection so it’s important to be well informed. There is currently no treatment for a measles infection once it occurs, however, preventative measures such as vaccination are available.

Parent: Thank you for explaining this about measles complications. I feel better informed now.