HYPERTENSIVE URGENCY

Course overview

HYPERTENSIVE URGENCY IS A MARKED ELEVATION IN BLOOD PRESSURE WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF TARGET ORGAN DAMAGE, SUCH AS PULMONARY EDEMA, CARDIAC ISCHEMIA, NEUROLOGIC DEFICITS, OR ACUTE RENAL FAILURE. SPECIFIC CUTOFFS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, SUCH AS SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE GREATER THAN 180 MMHG OR DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE GREATER THAN 110 MMHG, BUT THESE ARE ARBITRARILY DERIVED NUMBERS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH SHORT-TERM MORBIDITY OR MORTALITY. GIVEN THIS, SOME HAVE PROPOSED RESERVING THE TERM HYPERTENSIVE URGENCY FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERELY ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE AND SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTORS FOR PROGRESSIVE END-ORGAN DAMAGE SUCH AS CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE OR CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PRESENTATION OF HYPERTENSIVE URGENCY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.