NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2019
Mental Health Nursing
Easy
A disorder in which patient maintains a fixed posture without any movement is?
Appeared in: NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2019
Explanation
- Catalepsy is defined as the passive induction of a posture that is held against gravity.
- This condition involves maintaining a fixed and often unusual body position for an extended period, which directly matches the description in the question stem.
- It is a key feature of the catatonia syndrome, where motor activity is severely disturbed.
- Unlike other motor disturbances, catalepsy is specifically about the maintenance of an externally imposed or spontaneously adopted fixed posture.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Mannerism refers to odd or peculiar ways of performing normal actions (e.g., an exaggerated way of walking). It involves movement, not the absence of it in a fixed posture.
- Option B: Perseveration is the persistent repetition of a word, thought, or action. It is about repetition of a response, not maintaining a static physical posture.
- Option C: Negativism is active resistance to suggestions or instructions. A patient might do the opposite of what is asked or resist any attempt to be moved. It is a behavioral opposition, not a state of fixed immobility.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Psychomotor abnormalities in psychiatric disorders to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
- Recognizing catalepsy is a critical nursing skill as it is a sign of catatonia, a serious but treatable condition. Prompt identification can lead to life-saving interventions.
- Nurses are responsible for preventing the physical complications of immobility in a cataleptic patient, such as pressure sores, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and contractures.
- What if? If a patient with catalepsy also develops a high fever, unstable blood pressure, and severe muscle rigidity, the nurse must recognize this as a potential medical emergency (Malignant Catatonia or Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome) and notify the physician immediately.
How to Approach the Question
- First, analyze the question stem to identify the core definition provided: 'maintains a fixed posture without any movement'.
- Next, systematically review each option and recall its specific definition in a psychiatric context.
- Compare the definition in the stem with the definition of each option.
- Mannerism involves movement. Eliminate it.
- Perseveration involves repetition of actions or words, not a static posture. Eliminate it.
- Negativism involves resistance, not passive immobility. Eliminate it.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Psychomotor abnormalities in psychiatric disorders
- Stem keywords: disorder, fixed posture, no movement
- Lead-in keywords: is
Question ID
QpOQlO3dFJ2SPHjnQ5s_6b
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2340-2342
E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 336-338
E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 1090-1092
Practise the full NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2019
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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