DYSTONIC REACTIONS

Course overview

AN ACUTE DYSTONIC REACTION IS CHARACTERIZED BY INVOLUNTARY CONTRACTIONS OF MUSCLES OF THE EXTREMITIES, FACE, NECK, ABDOMEN, PELVIS, OR LARYNX IN EITHER SUSTAINED OR INTERMITTENT PATTERNS THAT LEAD TO ABNORMAL MOVEMENTS OR POSTURES. THE ETIOLOGY OF ACUTE DYSTONIC REACTION IS THOUGHT TO BE DUE TO DOPAMINERGIC-CHOLINERGIC IMBALANCE IN THE BASAL GANGLIA. THE SYMPTOMS MAY BE REVERSIBLE OR IRREVERSIBLE AND USUALLY OCCUR SHORTLY AFTER TAKING A DOPAMINE RECEPTOR-BLOCKING AGENT OR INCREASING THE DOSAGE. ANTICHOLINERGIC AGENTS AND BENZODIAZEPINES ARE THE MOST COMMONLY USED AGENTS TO REVERSE OR REDUCE SYMPTOMS IN AN ACUTE DYSTONIC REACTION. ACUTE DYSTONIC REACTIONS ARE OFTEN TRANSIENT BUT CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS TO THE PATIENT. ALTHOUGH RARE, LARYNGEAL DYSTONIA CAN CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN A DYSTONIC REACTION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE FOR IT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.