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    Ati nurs 541 mental health proctored exam(behavioral health)

    A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia has received fluphenazine decanoate twice a month for 3 years. The clinic nurse's notes that the patient grimaces and is constantly smacking his lips. The patient's neck and shoulders twist in a slow, snakelike motion. Which problem would the nurse suspect?

    Explanation & Rationale

    A. This disorder is characterized by sudden, rapid, recurrent motor movements and vocal tics, not slow, writhing movements caused by long-term antipsychotic use. B. This is a dangerous reduction in white blood cells, typically presenting with fever, sore throat, or infections, not abnormal involuntary movements. C. Anticholinergic side effects include dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, urinary retention, not the repetitive, involuntary movements seen here. D. This condition is a late-onset side effect of long-term use of antipsychotics, especially first-generation drugs like fluphenazine. It presents as grimacing, lip smacking, and slow, writhing movements of the neck and shoulders, consistent with the patient’s symptoms.

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