Your 74-year-old patient has a recorded blood pressure of 185/125 mm Hg.He is not currently showing any signs or symptoms of acute organ complications.You would label his condition a

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A patient with blood pressure greater than 180/120 mm Hg is considered to be in a hypertensive crisis.A hypertensive crisis represents either a hypertensive urgency or a hypertensive emergency.Hypertensive urgencies usually signify high blood pressures without signs or symptoms of acute target organ complications,but patients may present with severe headaches,shortness of breath,nosebleeds,or severe anxiety.In these situations,reduction in blood pressure may proceed safely to a stage 1 value with oral antihypertensives over several hours to several days.Oral captopril,clonidine,and labetalol are routinely used to manage hypertensive urgencies.A hypertensive emergency exists when the elevation of blood pressure is accompanied by acute,chronic,or progressing target organ injury.

Your 74-Year-Old Patient Has a Recorded Blood Pressure of 185/125