A male client is admitted to the psychiatric unit for recurrent negative symptoms of chronic schizophrenia and medication adjustment of risperidone. When the client walks to the nurse's station in a laterally contracted position, he reports that something has made his body contort into a monster. Which action should the nurse take?

A. Administer the prescribed anticholinergic benztropine for dystonia: The client’s laterally contracted posture and report of body contorting are classic signs of acute dystonia, an extrapyramidal side effect of antipsychotic medications like risperidone. Benztropine, an anticholinergic, works by restoring the balance between acetylcholine and dopamine in the central nervous system, rapidly relieving muscle contractions and abnormal postures. B. Direct client to occupational therapy to distract him from somatic concerns: While occupational therapy can provide meaningful engagement and support, it does not treat the acute neurological side effects of dystonia. Relying on distraction alone may prolong discomfort and does not address the urgent need for pharmacologic intervention to correct muscle rigidity. C. Medicate the client with the prescribed antipsychotic thioridazine: Administering another antipsychotic is inappropriate in this situation because additional dopamine blockade could worsen extrapyramidal symptoms. The priority is to reverse the dystonia caused by antipsychotic use, not to introduce another agent that may exacerbate the adverse effect. D. Offer the client a prescribed physical therapy hot pack for muscle spasms: Heat may provide minor symptomatic relief for muscular discomfort but does not correct the neurochemical imbalance causing acute dystonia. Pharmacologic intervention with an anticholinergic is required for rapid and effective resolution of the abnormal posturing.