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Hypertensive crisis profile. Prevalence and clinical presentation
José Fernando Vilela Martin1, Erika Higashiama, Evandro Garcia
1Facultade de Medicina, São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP), SP, Brazil. vilelamartin@cardiol.br
Arquivos Brasileiros De Cardiologia
|August 24, 2004
Summary
Hypertensive crisis, including urgency and emergency, affected 0.5% of emergency cases. Hypertensive urgency was more common, with ischemic stroke and pulmonary edema being frequent complications of hypertensive emergencies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Emergency Medicine
- Nephrology
Background:
- Hypertensive crisis is a critical condition requiring prompt medical attention.
- Understanding its prevalence and associated factors is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of hypertensive crisis.
- To identify associated clinical findings and target-organ lesions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for symptomatic patients with diastolic blood pressure ≥ 120 mmHg.
- Defined hypertensive urgency and emergency based on target-organ involvement.
Main Results:
- Hypertensive crisis occurred in 0.5% of emergency cases (452 patients).
- Hypertensive urgency (60.4%) was more prevalent than hypertensive emergency (39.6%).
- Smoking and diabetes were identified risk factors; older age and higher diastolic blood pressure were associated with hypertensive emergency.
Conclusions:
- Hypertensive crises represent a significant proportion of clinical emergencies.
- Hypertensive urgency is more common than hypertensive emergency.
- Ischemic stroke and acute pulmonary edema are the most frequent target-organ lesions in hypertensive emergencies.
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