Intravenous nicardipine in severe systemic hypertension

Sixty-six patients with severe hypertension were treated with intravenous nicardipine in 3 separate protocols. Each protocol had a common end point: Diastolic blood pressure would either reduce 25 mm Hg or measure below 95 mm Hg. Each of the 66 patients studied attained the desired clinical response end point. Intravenous nicardipine produced a gradual reduction in blood pressure, was effective in maintaining blood pressure control during constant infusion and had few undesirable effects. These observations suggest that intravenous nicardipine maybe a useful addition to a limited number of therapeutic agents currently available to the physician for treatment of hypertensive urgencies.