¡Pure Life! Symptoms and medical signs in colloquial Costa Rican language. Costa Rica, 2024

Abstract

Background: Language, constantly evolving, significantly impacts medical practice, particularly in Costa Rica, where patients often use colloquial terminology to describe their symptoms. Objective: This study aims to describe and analyze the most common colloquial medical diagnoses in Costa Rica to facilitate communication and understanding between patients and healthcare professionals. Materials and Methods: A corpus of colloquial terms was collected through consultations with physicians and open surveys. These terms were analyzed and compared with conventional medical terminology. Results: Sixty-eight colloquial terms were identified, along with their corresponding translations into medical terminology and their definitions according to the 2024 edition of the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary. The results highlight the importance of understanding the patient's language to improve communication and the quality of medical care. Conclusion: This preliminary study emphasizes the need to develop structured glossaries to describe signs and symptoms, not only in Costa Rica but throughout Central and Latin America.