A Shuffling gait with a stooped posture

A 76-year-old patient in a long-term care center has developed a shuffling gait with a stooped posture, along with a hand tremor at rest. The nurse practitioner prescribed carbidopa/levodopa.

•1. The nurse knows that Parkinson’s disease is related to dopamine, but dopamine can’t cross the blood-brain barrier. How will carbidopa/levodopa assist with dopamine levels?•

2. The patient states, “I am looking forward to spending next weekend with my grandson. He even said he would let me drive his new Mustang!” What teaching should the nurse provide the patient and his grandson (with the patient’s permission) regarding the new medication and his weekend plans?

•3. The nurse reads that the most common side effect of carbidopa-levodopa is dyskinesia. What is dyskinesia? If it occurs, what is the likely treatment?