Treatment of hypertension in emergent and urgent cases. Part II. Hypertensive emergencies

Abstract

Severe elevations of blood pressure are classified as "hypertensive emergencies" in the presence of acute or ongoing end-organ damage or as "hypertensive urgencies" in the absence of target-organ involvement. Distinguishing hypertensive emergencies from urgencies is important in formulating the therapeutic plan. Treatment of hypertensive emergency calls for reduction in blood pressure over minutes to hours with intravenous medications. Overly-agressive blood pressure reduction is associated with poor outcomes, especially in the setting of an acute cerebrovascular event.