HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS IN EMERGENCY ROOM

Hypertension is the most widespread disease nowadays and one of the most common causes of visits and emergencies with significant acute and chronic morbidity. The aim of the study is to describe the clinical signs/symptoms, and the frequency of urgency and emergency hypertension. This is a prospective study including 164 patients who presented with hypertensive crisis in the emergency room of University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa" Tirana during the year 2013. All patients over 18 years of age who presented to the emergency department with a hypertensive crisis were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 59.6 (+/-14.8) years. 102 (62%) of patients were males and 62 (38%) females. 94 (57.3%) patients met the criteria for medical emergency while 70 (43%) patients for urgency. Dyspnea (41.1%), chest pain (37.2%) and neurological deficit (27.2%) were more common signs/symptoms in patients with emergency while headache (42.0%), chest pain (41.2%) and dyspnea (34.3%) in those with urgency. Among the forms of emergency most frequent were acute pulmonary edema (30%), myocardial infarction/unstable angina (25%), ischemic (22%) and hemorrhagic stroke (14%). 75% of the patients were diagnosed with hypertension and were on medication. Hypertensive crisis is a clinical entity associated with high morbidity in the emergency room. Adequate control of blood pressure is crucial to prevent permanent damage to organs.