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Review
. 2003 Oct;7(5):374-84.
doi: 10.1186/cc2351. Epub 2003 Jul 16.

Clinical review: the management of hypertensive crises

Joseph Varon  1 , Paul E Marik
Affiliations
Review

Clinical review: the management of hypertensive crises

Joseph Varon et al. Crit Care. 2003 Oct.

Abstract

Hypertension is an extremely common clinical problem, affecting approximately 50 million people in the USA and approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. Approximately 1% of these patients will develop acute elevations in blood pressure at some point in their lifetime. A number of terms have been applied to severe hypertension, including hypertensive crises, emergencies, and urgencies. By definition, acute elevations in blood pressure that are associated with end-organ damage are called hypertensive crises. Immediate reduction in blood pressure is required only in patients with acute end-organ damage. This article reviews current concepts, and common misconceptions and pitfalls in the diagnosis and management of patients with acutely elevated blood pressure.

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Figure 1
Figure 1
Cerebral autoregulation in normotensive and chronically hypertensive patient.
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