Hypertension in ICU
Hypertensive crisis is a severe elevation in blood pressure, generally categorized as hypertensive
emergencies or urgencies, are potentially life-threatening and may occur with chronic essential hypertension. The differences between hypertensive urgency and emergency are on the symptoms, presentation of acute target organ damage and/or complication and effect on the reduction of blood pressure rate. Generally, hypertensive urgency presented with significant symptoms, may not leading to acute target organ damage and/or complication, and require hours to days for the rate reduction in blood pressure (BP). Inversely, hypertensive emergency may exist with no or minimal symptoms, likely to cause acute target organ damage and/or complication, and rapid BP reduction rate (minutes to hours).
Hypertensive Urgency
Defined as severe increase in blood pressure which is not associated with acute end organ damage/complication and these include patients with grade III or IV retinal changes. It is also known as accelerated and malignant hypertension, but with no overt symptoms and signs of acute target organ damage/complication.