Present Tense or Past Tense in Italian medical reports Thread poster: Joseph Tein
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Joseph Tein 
United States
Local time: 01:18
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
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Hi All,
A question came up today that I haven't paid too much attention to in the past. Italian medical reports are written in the present tense ... for example: "Il paziente opta per trattamento conservativo ... " "Si procede a biopsia su la parete dell'utero ..." "La paziente lamenta intense algie pelviche ..." "Si osserva corpo estraneo a livello del rene sinistro ..." and so on.
Is there a rule or convention for translating this present-tense usage into English... See more Hi All,
A question came up today that I haven't paid too much attention to in the past. Italian medical reports are written in the present tense ... for example: "Il paziente opta per trattamento conservativo ... " "Si procede a biopsia su la parete dell'utero ..." "La paziente lamenta intense algie pelviche ..." "Si osserva corpo estraneo a livello del rene sinistro ..." and so on.
Is there a rule or convention for translating this present-tense usage into English? That is, do we keep the present tense or do we change it to past tense? I've been translating into past tense most of the time but haven't always been consistent. It does seem to me that when translating imaging reports (CT, MRI etc.) we would keep the present tense (We observe a mass measuring 6x9 mm; the lungs are clear; the heart is of normal size, etc.) but what about patient history and procedures performed?
Thanks for your thoughts on this. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Whatever is normal in the target language | Aug 30, 2021 |
I really know very little Italian, but the same thing crops up in my source language, Danish.
Here I use the past (or possibly no verb at all), e.g. for a surgical procedure
- Incision, front deltoid split, greater tuberosity easily mobilised and placed in position after removal of haematoma.
The Danish uses present tense, which could imply a regular occurrence, especially in English.
Maybe the surgeon does it regularly, but it is/was a one-off for the pa... See more I really know very little Italian, but the same thing crops up in my source language, Danish.
Here I use the past (or possibly no verb at all), e.g. for a surgical procedure
- Incision, front deltoid split, greater tuberosity easily mobilised and placed in position after removal of haematoma.
The Danish uses present tense, which could imply a regular occurrence, especially in English.
Maybe the surgeon does it regularly, but it is/was a one-off for the patient!
In a general examination I would use the past tense in English for observations that change, like pulse, temperature, 'the patient was awake, alert and coherent'. Or leave the verb out altogether, depending on the style of the original. (pulse 74 or pulse was normal, 74, not pulse is 74.)
English uses the narrative present very little in general, and it often implies an action is repeated, so I avoid the present when in fact it refers to a once-only incident in the past.
CT and MRI etc. fix the moment, so the present is natural there, as you use it. 'We observe' - and can go on observing, every time we look at the scan 
That is my take on it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Joseph Tein
United States
Local time: 01:18
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Christine Anderson: | Aug 30, 2021 |
Very nice, Christine. Helpful. Thank you.
[quote]Christine Andersen wrote:
I really know very little Italian, but the same thing crops up in my source language, Danish.
. . .
That is my take on it.
| | | | Tony Keily
Local time: 10:18
Italian to English
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| Histroic(al) present | Aug 31, 2021 |
You find the HP in quite a number of other contexts in many European languages. In most contexts (see below for exceptions), including the one you mention, just use the past in English.
The question has cropped up on proz forums before:<... See more
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JudyC
Italy
Local time: 10:18
Italian to English
| Like Christine, I usually adapt to the target language | Sep 5, 2021 |
I'd say present tense for imaging (and pathology) reports: here the actions of viewing and commenting/reporting on the image/specimen are simultaneous.
I normally change the Italian historical present into a past in the more strictly narrative reports: operative reports, which are written up after the procedure, and patient history, which sets the scene.
If all these are combined into a case report, then past tense for all. This is another case where Italian often uses... See more I'd say present tense for imaging (and pathology) reports: here the actions of viewing and commenting/reporting on the image/specimen are simultaneous.
I normally change the Italian historical present into a past in the more strictly narrative reports: operative reports, which are written up after the procedure, and patient history, which sets the scene.
If all these are combined into a case report, then past tense for all. This is another case where Italian often uses the narrative present.
JudyC ▲ Collapse
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