Treatment of Hypertension in the Emergency Department

This review updates concepts of hypertension evaluation and management in patients presenting to the emergency department. It outlines the current challenges faced by emergency physicians in the identification and management of hypertensive patients: In spite of published emergency care guidelines, identification and referral rates remain low in patients presenting to the emergency department with moderate blood pressure (BP) elevations. In patients with severely elevated BP, the evaluation for acute end organ damage remains inconsistent and is symptom-based. Using current consensus guidelines, this review provides an algorithm for the management of the hypertensive emergency department patient. The final section of this review outlines management strategies for specific hypertensive emergencies.