title: Management of hypertensive emergencies: implications for the critical care nurse.
abstract: Hypertensive emergencies are characterized by acute blood pressure elevations and potential for end organ damage. The critical care nurse must understand the pathophysiology to appreciate the therapeutic management and complications associated with the devastating clinical event. Stroke, renal damage and failure, retinopathy, aortic dissection, and encephalopathy are among the sequelae of severe hypertensive episodes. Intravenous medications are the treatment of choice to lower the blood pressure without risking hypoperfusion of the brain and other vital organs.
authors.affiliation: Education Department, Methodist Healthcare System, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA. Margaret.Schulenburg@MHSHealth.com
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schulenburg
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000150:complications; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004630:Emergencies / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology; D015985:Precipitating Factors; D011247:Pregnancy; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents