Raised Blood Pressure : Triage

Hypertension, characterized by persistently elevated blood pressure, poses a significant health risk and is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide. Within the spectrum of hypertension, two critical conditions, hypertensive urgency and hypertensive emergency, denote severe elevations in blood pressure with differing clinical implications. Hypertensive urgency refers to a situation where blood pressure is markedly elevated—often defined as a systolic blood pressure greater than 180 mmHg or diastolic pressure greater than 110 mmHg—yet without evidence of immediate or acute target organ damage. This condition requires prompt medical attention to prevent the progression to more severe complications, although the specific cutoffs for blood pressure are somewhat arbitrary and have not been directly linked to short-term increases in morbidity or mortality.

In contrast, hypertensive emergency is characterized by similarly elevated blood pressure levels but is distinguished by the presence of acute target organ damage. This can manifest as a range of serious conditions, including pulmonary oedema, cardiac ischemia, neurological deficits, or acute renal failure, necessitating immediate and aggressive treatment. Management strategies for hypertensive emergencies typically involve the use of parenteral medications and careful monitoring of intra-arterial blood pressure to mitigate the risk of further organ damage and to stabilize the patient's condition....