Nifedipine in hypertensive emergencies: a prospective study.

Hypertensive emergencies usually present to the emergency department. Nifedipine was administered to 15 patients presenting to the emergency department with a diastolic blood pressure greater than 120 mm Hg with chest pain, shortness of breath, or focal neurological symptoms. Average blood pressure on entry was 215/134.9 mm Hg and decreased to 158/88 mm Hg over a two-hour period. No patient had any worsening of symptoms or suffered deleterious effects. All patients with pulmonary edema or chest pain noted prompt improvement in symptoms. One patient became hypotensive without clinical significance. Two patients failed to respond to nifedipine and were treated with nitroprusside. Nifedipine appears to be safe and effective in the management of hypertensive crises.