This supplement [Ann Emerg Med 2008;51(3 Suppl 1):S1-S38] represents the first supplement to Annals of Emergency Medicine in nearly 16 years! These consensus documents on the evaluation and management of hypertension and hypertensive emergencies in the ED was systematically developed between December 2006 and April 2007 in an evidence-based and consensus-based process and culminated in the March 2008 supplement of Annals. The panel members were selected from a multidisciplinary group of specialists, which included physicians from emergency medicine, neurology, neurological surgery, internal medicine, hospital medicine, nephrology, cardiology, pediatrics, anesthesiology, vascular surgery, and gynecology and obstetrics.

Hypertensive emergencies represent one of the most common presentations to the emergency department, as many as 3% of visits in one study. For emergency physicians, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are essential for minimizing injury due to elevated blood pressure. In some cases, this management of hypertension can be life saving. This Newsletter focuses on the drug treatment of hypertensive emergencies, primarily parenteral therapy. The drugs of choice for the treatment of each diagnostic category are discussed with the evidence supporting these recommendations.