[Hypertensive crises: prevalence and clinical aspects].
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.
Rodríguez Cerrillo
M
M
Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Mateos Hernández
P
P
Fernández Pinilla
C
C
Martell Claros
N
N
Luque Otero
M
M
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
Crisis hipertensiva: prevalencia y aspectos clínicos.