Hypertensive emergencies: diagnosis and management.
The treatment of hypertension is preventive medicine. This principle applies in the emergency room as well as the clinic. However, there are crucial contrasts between these two care settings related to specific goals of management for real emergencies and nonemergency conditions. In the emergency room, rapid triage is necessary to separate those who can safely be sent home for future clinic assessment from those who require immediate interventions including short stays in 24-hour observation units or hospitalization for more serious problems. This review focuses on decisions related to hypertension management in the emergency room and over brief periods of observation and treatment. Strategy is supported by evidence-based considerations whenever possible. Where outcome studies are not available, we rely on the rationale derived from relevant clinical research.
Departmnet of Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Robert A
RA
Phillips
Jonathan
J
Greenblatt
Lawrence R
LR
Krakoff
D000208:Acute Disease; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000209:etiology; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000150:complications; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D020343:Hypertensive Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology
D000925:Anticoagulants; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents