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Hypertension In The Emergency Department: Treat Now, Later, Or Not At All
June 2010
Abstract
The origin of hypertension can be multifactorial, making its diagnosis and management in the emergency department (ED) topics of considerable discussion. Table 1 presents general definitions of hypertension; however, these definitions can be both helpful and misleading in the ED.1 Table 2 presents central questions that should be asked when a patient is evaluated for hypertension in the ED. The sense of impending danger associated with hypertension (ie, use of words such as “urgency” and “crisis”) may lead practitioners to aggressively treat patients. However, this approach can be detrimental if it leads to overtreatment, thus converting patients from a stable, asymptomatic, hypertensive state to an unstable, symptomatic, normotensive or hypotensive state.
This issue of Emergency Medicine Practice reviews the current evidence related to the diagnosis and management of hypertension with a focus on issues related to ED clinical decisionmaking.
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