F.P. is a 66-year-old man hospitalized for surgical management of an enlarged prostate. His chart indicates that he has had Parkinson disease for 5 years prior to admission, managed with a dopamine precursor (levodopa/carbidopa). He also has a seizure history, having experienced a seizure about 20 years ago as a complication of a motor vehicle accident. He took an antiseizure medication for many years but stopped taking it about 3 years ago because he was “tired of taking it and hadn’t had a seizure since the accident.”

Case Questions

1. What types of motor difficulties would F.P. be expected to exhibit related to his Parkinson disease?
2. What is the rationale for managing Parkinson disease with a dopamine precursor?
3. What safety and activities-of-daily-living problems might F.P. have encountered while hospitalized?
4. If F.P. experienced seizure activity while in the hospital, what should have been assessed during the seizure episode? How would his seizure have been managed?