title: [When should a patient with severe hypertension be referred to the emergency ward?].
abstract: When a severe elevation of blood pressure occurs in conjunction with failure of a target organ, immediate referral of the patient to hospital is an easy decision for the primary care physician. However, when severe elevation of blood pressure is observed in the absence of any significant symptom, it is a much more difficult decision to take. Indeed, if some clinical situations require an immediate and aggressive anti-hypertensive therapy, such a treatment can be clearly deleterious for a number of other cases. This paper attempts to clarify in which situations the primary care physician should refer hypertensive crisis to the emergency department.
authors.affiliation: Service des urgences, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne. David.Clerc@chuv.ch
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clerc
authors.forename: Grégoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wuerzner
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burnier
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020343:Hypertensive Encephalopathy / Q000188:drug therapy; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D010821:Physicians, Family; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents