Question

When teaching a client with Parkinson's disease, which rationale for the prescription of carbldopa-levodopa should the nurse include?

a. Increases the amount of dopamine available for muscles to function correctly.
b. Slows the scarring in the myelin sheath improving muscle tone and strength.
c. Reduces the inflammatory process improving nerve transmission and function.
d. Acts as an antiseizure medication reducing the tremors caused by the disease.

Answer 1

Carbidopa-levodopa increases dopamine availability which helps with muscle function in Parkinson's disease by compensating for the loss of dopamine-producing neurons.

Step-by-step explanation:

When teaching a client with Parkinson's disease about the rationale for the prescription of carbidopa-levodopa, the nurse should include that it increases the amount of dopamine available for muscles to function correctly. Carbidopa-levodopa is a combination medication used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, where carbidopa prevents the breakdown of levodopa in the bloodstream so more can enter the brain, and levodopa is then converted into dopamine.

This increase in dopamine neurotransmission helps to compensate for the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, characteristic of Parkinson's disease, which can produce symptoms such as tremors, slowed movement, speech changes, balance and posture problems, and stiff muscles.