Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · May 1999
ReviewHypertensive crisis. How to tell if it's an emergency or an urgency.
Hypertensive crisis occurs when critically elevated blood pressure is accompanied by diastolic pressure greater than 120 to 130 mm Hg. The presence of acute or ongoing end-organ damage constitutes a hypertensive emergency, which requires reduction of blood pressure within minutes to hours to avoid catastrophic outcomes. ⋯ Although hypertensive crises are relatively rare, most primary care physicians will eventually encounter them. Thus, for optimal patient outcomes, it is important to be aware of appropriate treatment options as well as the impact of potential complications on management.