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Therapies to Reduce Blood Pressure Acutely

  • Hypertension and Emergency Medicine (T Rainer, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Clinicians make frequent treatment decisions regarding acute blood pressure reduction for the critically ill. Key to the decision making process is a balance between reducing arterial wall stress and maintaining perfusion to vital organs. In this article, we review the physiological considerations underlying acute blood pressure management, including the concept of cerebral autoregulation and its adaptations to chronic hypertension. We then discuss available pharmacological interventions suited for reducing blood pressure acutely. We also discuss specific blood pressure targets in common critical illnesses and consider future directions in this therapeutic area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA

    Joseph B. Miller, Harish Kinni & Ahmed Amer

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA

    Joseph B. Miller & Harish Kinni

  3. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

    Joseph B. Miller & Harish Kinni

  4. Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

    Phillip D. Levy

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  1. Joseph B. Miller
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  2. Harish Kinni
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  4. Phillip D. Levy
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Correspondence to Joseph B. Miller.

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Conflict of Interest

Drs. Kinni and Amer declare no conflicts of interest. Dr. Miller declares personal fees from The Medicines Company. Dr. Levy declares personal fees and non-financial support from The Medicines Company and Chiesi USA.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Hypertension and Emergency Medicine

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Miller, J.B., Kinni, H., Amer, A. et al. Therapies to Reduce Blood Pressure Acutely. Curr Hypertens Rep 18, 43 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-016-0651-8

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