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CRITICAL CARE ISSUES FOR THE NEPHROLOGIST: Current Diagnosis and Management of Hypertensive Emergency
Author(s) -
Haas Andrew R.,
Marik Paul E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
seminars in dialysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1525-139X
pISSN - 0894-0959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-139x.2006.00213.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hypertensive emergency , blood pressure , intensive care medicine , nephrology , emergency department , cardiology , emergency medicine , psychiatry
The appropriate and timely evaluation and treatment of patients with severely elevated blood pressure is essential to avoid serious adverse outcomes. Most importantly, the distinction between a hypertensive emergency (crisis) and urgency needs to be made. A sudden elevation in systolic (SBP) and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) that is associated with acute end organ damage (cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or renal) is defined as a hypertensive crisis or emergency. In contrast, acute elevation in SBP and/or DBP not associated with evidence of end organ damage is defined as hypertensive urgency. In patients with a hypertensive emergency, blood pressure control should be attained as expeditiously as possible with parenteral medications to prevent ongoing and potentially permanent end organ damage. In contrast, with hypertensive urgency, blood pressure control can be achieved with the use of oral medications within 24–48 hours. This paper reviews the management of hypertensive emergencies.