Final answer:
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) is used to reduce psychotic symptoms in patients with paranoid schizophrenia by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain. It is an antipsychotic drug that decreases dopamine neurotransmission, which can help manage psychosis such as hallucinations and delusions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse understands that the purpose for chlorpromazine (Thorazine) is to reduce psychotic symptoms in patients with paranoid schizophrenia. Chlorpromazine is an antipsychotic medication, also known as a neuroleptic, which is used primarily to manage psychosis, including delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thought. This medication works by blocking dopamine receptors and decreasing dopamine neurotransmission in the brain, which helps to alleviate certain symptoms associated with schizophrenia.
Chlorpromazine does not induce a state of unconsciousness but can create a tendency to sleep and a lack of interest. It is particularly effective in making psychotic patients less agitated and restless, and it can also make withdrawn patients more responsive and communicative. It should be noted that while it may initially cause drowsiness, the intellectual functions of patients remain intact without ataxia, incoordination, or dysarthria at ordinary doses.
Benztropine (Cogentin), on the other hand, may be prescribed as needed to manage extrapyramidal symptoms, which are side effects that can occur with antipsychotic treatments. Benztropine is an anticholinergic medication that counteracts these side effects by inhibiting acetylcholine receptors.