The nurse is assessing a young adult patient with schizophrenia who recently began taking fluphenazine (Prolixin). The patient is exhibiting spasms of facial muscles along with grimacing, and the nurse notes upward eye movements. The nurse suspects which side effect?

Question

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The symptoms described (facial muscle spasms, grimacing, and upward eye movements) suggest acute dystonia, which is a common extrapyramidal side effect of antipsychotic medications like fluphenazine. Akathisia is characterized by restlessness and an inability to sit still. Pseudoparkinsonism includes symptoms like tremors, shuffling gait, and rigidity, and usually appears within the first few weeks of starting an antipsychotic medication. Tardive dyskinesia is a late-occurring extrapyramidal side effect that may develop after long-term antipsychotic use, and is characterized by involuntary movements of the mouth, tongue, and limbs.

The Nurse Is Assessing a Young Adult Patient with Schizophrenia