Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 86%
Full-length
A client has been taking perphenazine (Trilafon) by mouth for two days and now displays the following: head turned to the side, neck arched at an angle, stiffness and muscle spasms in neck. The nurse would expect to give which of the following as a PRN medication?
Correct answer
B
Rationale
The symptoms describe acute dystonia, an extrapyramidal side effect of perphenazine. Biperiden, an antiparkinsonian agent, counteracts these effects. Promazine, thiothixene, and haloperidol (A, C, D) are antipsychotics and would not relieve dystonia.