During a psychiatric emergency, a patient is given a traditional antipsychotic drug intramuscularly and placed in seclusion. Over the next 2 hours, concerns for safety and physiologic stability require that the patient be carefully monitored for:

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Hypotension is the major antiadrenergic effect of antipsychotic drugs. It is related to the blocking of a?-receptors on peripheral blood vessels, preventing the vessels from constricting automatically to positional changes. Hypotension is frequently noted following intramuscular administration and is of concern because it relates to patient safety and injury from falls. Cardiac arrhythmias may also occur, jeopardizing the patient's physiologic stability. Drug-induced parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia develop over time.

During a Psychiatric Emergency, a Patient Is Given a Traditional