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Intravenous clonidine in hypertensive patients
Author(s) -
Mroczek William J.,
Davidov Michael,
Finnerty Frank A.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt1973145847
Subject(s) - clonidine , medicine , antihypertensive drug , blood pressure , imidazoline receptor , anesthesia , pressor response , drug , pharmacology , heart rate
Clonidine (Catapres), a new imidazoline derivative with antihypertensive properties, was administered parenterally to 20 hypertensive patients. Thirteen patients with stable hypertension received clonidine electively. After a brief pressor phase, the patients with stable hypertension had a good antihypertensive response (a 17% average reduction in mean arterial pressure from 139 ± 11 to 115 ± 12 mm Hg). In 7 patients with accelerated hypertension who received clonidine intravenously, the pressor phase was of greater magnitude, lasted for a longer period of time, and was not associated with an antihypertensive response. It is concluded that transferring drug‐response data from patients with stable hypertension to those in an accelerated phase and vice versa may give erroneous impressions. Since the major need for a parenteral antihypertensive drug is for the therapy of hypertensive crises, the usefulness of intravenous clonidine appears limited.