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Intravenous nicardipine for treatment of severe hypertension in children

J T Flynn1, T A Mottes, P D Brophy

  • 1Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, C. S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|July 11, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Intravenous nicardipine effectively lowered blood pressure in children with severe hypertension. This study found nicardipine achieved significant blood pressure reduction, with most patients responding well.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Cardiovascular pharmacology

Background:

  • Severe hypertension in children is a critical condition requiring prompt management.
  • Intravenous antihypertensive agents are often necessary for rapid blood pressure control in pediatric intensive care units.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous nicardipine for treating severe hypertension in pediatric patients.
  • To determine the effectiveness of nicardipine as a single agent versus adjunctive therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for 29 children with severe hypertension treated with intravenous nicardipine.
  • Analysis of nicardipine dosage, blood pressure response, time to control, and adverse events.
  • Assessment of concurrent antihypertensive medications.

Main Results:

  • Intravenous nicardipine achieved a 16% reduction in systolic and a 23% reduction in diastolic blood pressure.
  • Blood pressure control was reached within an average of 2.7 hours.
  • Nicardipine was effective as a monotherapy in 84% of treatment instances.

Conclusions:

  • Intravenous nicardipine is an effective agent for lowering blood pressure in children with severe hypertension in an intensive care setting.
  • Close patient monitoring is crucial during nicardipine administration.
  • Further prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings.
Abstract

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