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. 2016 Aug;18(8):796-800.
doi: 10.1111/jch.12765. Epub 2015 Dec 31.

Pattern of Blood Pressure Response in Patients With Severe Asymptomatic Hypertension Treated in the Emergency Department

Wasseem Rock  1   2 , Khaled Zbidat  1   2 , Naama Schwartz  3   4 , Mazen Elias  1   2 , Itamar Minuhin  2   5 , Reuma Shapira  2   5 , Ehud Grossman  6   7
Affiliations

Pattern of Blood Pressure Response in Patients With Severe Asymptomatic Hypertension Treated in the Emergency Department

Wasseem Rock et al. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2016 Aug.

Abstract

Severe asymptomatic hypertension (SAH) is a common cause of emergency department (ED) visits. Despite recommendations against using short-acting blood pressure (BP)-lowering drugs in the ED, it is still a common practice. The authors characterized BP response in the ED utilizing 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Patients with SAH who were not admitted to the hospital were recruited. All patients underwent 24-hour ABPM. A total of 21 patients (14 females) with a mean age of 58±16 years were studied. BP decreased from 199±16/101±17 mm Hg to 154±34/83±23 mm Hg after 5 hours but then rose to 174±25/94±17 mm Hg after 19 hours. In 17 patients, systolic BP was ≥180 mm Hg after 6.7±5.3 hours. Two patients experienced severe hypotension (systolic BP <90 mm Hg). Thus, data from a single site in Israel support the current recommendations for management of SAH in the ED.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Individual systolic blood pressure levels at select times after treatment in the emergency department (n=20).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring results for the entire group. MAP indicates mean arterial pressure. The dots on the graph represent systolic blood pressure measurements (n=20).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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