title: Characterization of patients aged 45 or under admitted with hypertensive emergencies in the Hospital do Prenda.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence and prevalence of hypertensive emergency have been little addressed in the literature. However, over the last decade increasing numbers of young patients with different forms of hypertensive crisis have been observed in emergency departments. We performed this study to ascertain the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients aged ≤ 45 years admitted with a diagnosis of hypertensive emergency.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional prospective study of 123 patients hospitalized for hypertensive emergency in the Hospital do Prenda, Luanda, between May 2011 and June 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 36.62 ± 5.49 years, and most were male (52.85%). The main risk factor was hypertension (65.9%), with 17.3% complying with therapy. The most frequent forms of presentation were hypertensive encephalopathy and hemorrhagic stroke (9.8% and 82.1%, respectively). The main drugs used were diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. Mortality during hospitalization was 25.2% (31 patients), hemorrhagic stroke being the most common cause. There was a significant association between age and in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of patients admitted with hypertensive emergency, 30.1% were aged ≤ 45 years. Hemorrhagic stroke was the most common presentation. There was a significant relationship between mode of presentation, age and in-hospital mortality.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital do Prenda, Luanda, Angola. Electronic address: geovedymtnez@infomed.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Geovedy Martínez
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital do Prenda, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Venâncio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miúdo
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital do Prenda, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Conceição da Graça Alves
authors.initials: Cda G
authors.lastname: Manuel Lopes
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital do Prenda, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vassuelela Gomes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emergência hipertensiva; Hypertensive emergency; Incidence; Incidência; Mortalidade; Mortality