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Drug Treatment of Hypertensive Crisis in Children

  • Therapy In Practice
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Abstract

Hypertensive crisis is a relatively rare event and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in adults and pediatric patients alike. Rapid, safe, and effective treatment is imperative to alleviate immediate presenting clinical symptoms, prevent devastating morbidity, preserve long-term quality of life, and prevent mortality. Many medications in the hypertensive crisis arsenal have been used for nearly half a century. Nearly all treatment options have been utilized in children for decades, yet reliable data and sound clinical literature remain elusive. Every agent considered to be a first-line, second-line, or adjunctive option has yet to be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial in pediatric patients. With a paucity of clinical data to form evidence-based decisions, the clinician must rely entirely on the extrapolation from adult data and small retrospective studies, case series, and case reports of medication use in pediatric patients.

Although more research in the treatment of pediatric hypertensive crisis is desperately needed, current practice demands a sharp knowledge of the pediatric clinical literature and pharmacology in this area as an essential tool to consistently improve patient outcomes with respect to morbidity and mortality.

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No sources of funding were associated with the preparation of this manuscript. The author has no conflicts of interest to report.

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  1. Department of Pharmacy, Riley Hospital for Children - Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Christopher A. Thomas PharmD (Clinical Pharmacist)

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  1. Christopher A. Thomas PharmD
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Correspondence to Christopher A. Thomas PharmD.

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Thomas, C.A. Drug Treatment of Hypertensive Crisis in Children. Pediatr-Drugs 13, 281–290 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2165/11592130-000000000-00000

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