A patient with Parkinson's disease who has been prescribed entacapone (Comtan)tells the nurse about muscle aches,weakness,and having dark cola-colored urine.What is the nurse's best action?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Entacapone is a COMT inhibitor.These drugs can cause the adverse effect of rhabdomyolysis,a serious and potentially fatal effect involving destruction or degeneration of skeletal muscle.Signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include muscle aches,muscle weakness,and dark cola-colored urine.The nurse must hold the drug and notify the prescriber immediately.

A Patient with Parkinson's Disease Who Has Been Prescribed Entacapone