Dysphasia

Now I know we always have learnt about dysphasia at uni, but until you come across it I don't think you fully understand the ramifications of the impairment. I came to realise this when I was told I had to do a full SOAPIER on a patient with SEVERE expressive and moderate receptive dysphasia. This particular patient had 2 phrases he could express - "OK" and "F***'N hell!". This may seem amusing, and he was incredibly good-humoured about the affliction, but it made some assessment impossible and very time consuming. Imagine my difficulty when attempting to assess hot/cold, sharp/blunt and proprioception? I tried assigning hand movements of his good hand to indicate which he felt, the direction the limb was moving etc. but due to receptive problems he got confused. It was a nightmare! I did my best, but in the end documented the communication difficulties, therefore questioning the reliability of information obtained. It was quite a learning experience in communication skills!!

dani