A hypertensive emergency (formerly called "malignant hypertension") is severe hypertension (high blood pressure) with acute impairment of one or more organ systems (especially the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and/or the renal system) that can result in irreversible organ damage. In a hypertensive emergency, the blood pressure should be substantially lowered over a period of minutes to hours with an antihypertensive agent.
Read more about Hypertensive Emergency: Signs and Symptoms, Pathophysiology, Treatment, Epidemiology, Prognosis
Famous quotes containing the word emergency:
“In this country, you never pull the emergency brake, even when there is an emergency. It is imperative that the trains run on schedule.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)