Medium urgency
Very commonModerately severe
Acute elevation of blood pressure (SBP > 180 and/or DBP > 120 mmHg), which could cause abnormalities in various organs in the body if not controlled early. It usually affects hypertensive patients and is characterized by headache, nose bleed, shortness of breath and chest pain, etc. Once blood pressure values have been confirmed, further tests should be conducted to detect organ impairment. Being a medical emergency, it should be treated without delay with fast-acting antihypertensives.
- William J Elliott, Joseph Varon. Evaluation and treatment of hypertensive emergencies in adults. UpToDate, Aug 16, 2016.
- Mayer SA, Kurtz P, Wyman A, et al. Clinical practices, complications, and mortality in neurological patients with acute severe hypertension: the Studying the Treatment of Acute hyperTension registry. Crit Care Med 2011; 39:2330.
- Johnson W, Nguyen ML, Patel R. Hypertension crisis in the emergency department. Cardiol Clin 2012; 30:533.
- Kaplan NM, Victor RG. Chapter 8: Hypertensive Crises. In: Kaplan's Clinical Hypertension, 10th Ed, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia 2010. p.274.
- Theodore A. Kotchen. Vasculopatía hipertensiva. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna, 19e. Capítulo 298.
Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
Copyright© TeckelMedical 2026
