title: [Hypertensive crises: prevalence and clinical aspects].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the prevalence and characteristics of patients with hypertensive crises and to know the clinical differences between patients with hypertensive urgencies and patients with hypertensive emergencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-months prospective study in which all patients attended at the Emergency Department with an hypertensive crisis (arterial blood pressure of at least 210/120 mmHg) were included. From each patient, a clinical history, physical examination, eye fundus examination, blood analysis, electrocardiogram, and a chest X-ray were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 118 patients were included in the study, representing 0.65% of all attended emergencies. Twenty-two percent of them had an emergency hypertensive crisis. Coronary heart disease was the most common cause for this emergency crisis. Hypertension was unknown to 12.7% of patients and 12.6% of patients aware of their condition were not taking any medication. Twenty-four percent of patients were diabetic. Patients with hypertensive emergencies had more involvement of target organs. Twenty-four percent of crises resolved with no therapy, and captopril was the most commonly used drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertensive crises accounted for 0.65% of attended emergencies at our institution. Coronary heart disease was the most common condition for hypertensive emergencies. Patients with hypertensive emergencies had a more severe involvement of target organs. Twenty four percent of crisis resolved with rest alone.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Cerrillo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mateos Hernández
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández Pinilla
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martell Claros
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luque Otero
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
vernacular_title: Crisis hipertensiva: prevalencia y aspectos clínicos.