Hypertensive Emergencies: Acute Care Evaluation and Managements

Hypertension remains one of the most common disease processes in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). While sometimes symptomatic and associated with end organ damage such as hypertensive encephalopathy, hemorrhagic stroke, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, and renal insufficiency, many patients present without symptoms. Emergency physicians and hospitalists should understand the appropriate classification of patients with hypertension, the pathophysiology of this disease process, and appropriate treatment strategies. In this EMCREG-International Newsletter, Charles V. Pollack, Jr. MD and Christopher J. Rees, MD of Pennsylvania Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania discuss hypertension and parenteral medications used for treatment of these patients in the ED.