ESC Council on hypertension position document on the management of hypertensive emergencies

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother. 2019 Jan 1;5(1):37-46. doi: 10.1093/ehjcvp/pvy032.

Abstract

Hypertensive emergencies are those situations where very high blood pressure (BP) values are associated with acute organ damage, and therefore, require immediate, but careful, BP reduction. The type of acute organ damage is the principal determinant of: (i) the drug of choice, (ii) the target BP, and (iii) the timeframe in which BP should be lowered. Key target organs are the heart, retina, brain, kidneys, and large arteries. Patients who lack acute hypertension-mediated end organ damage do not have a hypertensive emergency and can usually be treated with oral BP-lowering agents and usually discharged after a brief period of observation.

Publication types

  • Practice Guideline
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antihypertensive Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antihypertensive Agents / adverse effects
  • Blood Pressure / drug effects*
  • Consensus
  • Disease Progression
  • Emergencies
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / complications
  • Hypertension / drug therapy*
  • Hypertension / mortality
  • Hypertension / physiopathology
  • Risk Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents