Hypertensive emergencies.

In summary, patients presenting with a true hypertensive emergency should be diagnosed quickly and promptly started on effective parenteral therapy (typically nitroprusside 0.5 microgram/kg/min or fenoldopam 0.1 microgram/kg/min) in an intensive care unit. Blood pressure should be reduced about 25% gradually over 2 to 3 hours. Oral antihypertensive therapy (often with an immediate-release calcium antagonist) can be instituted after 6 to 12 hours of parenteral therapy, and consideration should be given to secondary causes of hypertension after transfer out of the intensive care unit. Because of advances in antihypertensive therapy and management, "malignant hypertension" should be truly malignant no longer.