The patient with Parkinson's disease who has received ongoing ...

[luminitza]

The patient with Parkinson's disease who has received ongoing therapy with dopaminergic drugs suddenly develops akinesia after a period of overall improvement in clinical status.
 
  Assess the following interpretations and choose the one that is applicable to this patient.
  a. The patient is now resistant to treatment with this type of drug.
  b. The patient is showing the on-off phenomenon.
  c. The patient has developed an allergy to the drug.
  d. The patient has received too little of the drug over time.

Question 2

A health care provider assesses a patient being started on drug therapy with levodopa-carbidopa (Sinemet). Which of the following adverse drug effects are most commonly seen in a patient with this therapeutic regimen?
 
  a. Sedation
  b. Cardiac arrhythmias
  c. Joint swelling
  d. Nausea and vomiting

[nmyers]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
The on-off phenomenon is a sudden waning of patient response to a drug after an improvement in clinical status. It typically occurs in patients who have received long-term levodopa treatment, and it manifests as an abrupt onset of akinesia.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
The most common adverse effects of dopaminergic drugs are nausea and vomiting.

[luminitza]

Excellent

[alvinum]

Gracias!