Levodopa-carbidopa related severe mixed dyskinesia in a patient with advanced Parkinson's disease admitted to the intensive care unit.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterised by motor complications that can become difficult to manage with disease progression. Certain medications used to treat PD, such as levodopa-carbidopa, can also cause motor complications. The timing and type of motor complication occurrence can provide important clues in determining the cause and help with treatment optimisation.This case report highlights the management of severe mixed dyskinesia in a critically ill PD patient admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The patient experienced debilitating motor complications, requiring intensive monitoring and personalised levodopa-carbidopa dose adjustments. Following the optimisation of her regimen, which included increasing the frequency of lower doses and the addition of another agent, her motor complications improved. This report underscores the need for individualised treatment strategies in advanced PD and the benefit of ICU-level close monitoring to optimise PD therapy in patients with severe dyskinesias.