At the Paediatrician in Spain
Take your child to the paediatrician at a Spanish health centre and understand what the doctor tells you.
In Spain children are seen by a public paediatrician at the local centro de salud; you book with cita previa or ask at the front desk for a same-day slot and show the tarjeta sanitaria. Doctors usually use tú with parents. The cards follow one visit: booking, describing symptoms, the examination, and the instructions, school note and vaccine questions at the end.

- 1
Lleva dos días con fiebre.
He's had a fever for two days.
- 2
Tose mucho por la noche.
He's coughing a lot at night.
- 3
Quería pedir cita con la pediatra.
I'd like an appointment with the paediatrician.
- 4
Es para mi hijo, aquí tiene su tarjeta sanitaria.
It's for my son, here's his health card.
- 5
¿Cuánta fiebre ha tenido?
How high has his fever been?
- 6
Anoche le subió a treinta y nueve.
It went up to 39 last night.
- 7
Le hemos dado ibuprofeno infantil.
We've given him some children's ibuprofen.
- 8
No quiere comer casi nada.
He's hardly eating anything.
- 9
¿Ha tenido vómitos o diarrea?
Has he had any vomiting or diarrhoea?
- 10
Vamos a ver esa garganta.
Let's have a look at that throat.
- 11
Coge aire fuerte, campeón.
Take a big breath for me, champ.
- 12
Tiene los oídos un poco rojos.
His ears are a bit red.
- 13
Es un virus, se le pasará solo.
It's a virus, it'll clear up on its own.
- 14
Dale paracetamol cada ocho horas.
Give him paracetamol every eight hours.
- 15
Que beba mucha agua.
Make sure he drinks lots of water.
- 16
Si en tres días no le baja la fiebre, vuelve a traerlo.
If the fever hasn't gone down in three days, bring him back.
- 17
¿Tiene que quedarse en casa sin ir al cole?
Does he need to stay home from school?
- 18
¿Me puedes dar un justificante para el trabajo?
Can you give me a note for work?
- 19
¿Cuándo le toca la próxima vacuna?
When is his next vaccine due?
- 20
Si le cuesta respirar, id directamente a urgencias.
If he struggles to breathe, go straight to A&E.