Severe labile hypertension in a patient with catecholamine-secreting neuroblastoma: a case report.

Neuroblastoma is a common pediatric tumor arising from the post-ganglionic sympathetic nervous system and is associated with hypertension in 25% of cases. We describe an unusual case of labile, multi-drug resistant hypertension associated with chemotherapy administration for neuroblastoma and provide potential management strategies in this scenario. We report the case of a 4-year-old female with a history of headaches who presented with hypertensive emergency and evidence of end-organ damage, including posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, acute cerebral infarct, concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, and growth failure secondary to a large, abdominal catecholamine-secreting neuroblastoma, which compressed the kidney vasculature and inferior vena cava. She was classified as intermediate risk according to Children's Oncology Group criteria and underwent chemotherapy, complicated by labile hypertension, followed by surgical resection. Vigilance in monitoring and treatment of hypertension is recommended during chemotherapy for neuroblastoma due to the potential catecholamine release in the setting of tumor lysis.

Role of aldosterone in various target organ damage in patients with hypertensive emergency: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive emergency is a critical disease that causes multiple organ injuries. Although the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAS) is enormously activated in this disorder, whether the RAS contributes to the development of the organ damage has not been fully elucidated. This cross-sectional study was conducted to characterize the association between RAS and the organ damage in patients with hypertensive emergencies. METHODS: We enrolled 63 patients who visited our medical center with acute severe hypertension and multiple organ damage between 2012 and 2020. Hypertensive target organ damage was evaluated on admission, including severe kidney impairment (eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, SKI), severe retinopathy, concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (c-LVH), thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and cerebrovascular disease. Then, whether each organ injury was associated with blood pressure or a plasma aldosterone concentration was analyzed. RESULTS: Among 63 patients, 31, 37, 43 and 8 cases manifested SKI, severe retinopathy, c-LVH and ischemic stroke, respectively. All populations with the organ injuries except cerebral infarction had higher plasma aldosterone concentrations than the remaining subset but exhibited a variable difference in systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Twenty-two patients had a triad of SKI, severe retinopathy and c-LVH, among whom 5 patients manifested TMA. Furthermore, the number of the damaged organs was correlated with plasma aldosterone levels (Spearman's coefficient = 0.50), with a strong association observed between plasma aldosterone (≥ 250 pg/mL) and 3 or more complications (odds ratio = 9.16 [95%CI: 2.76-30.35]). CONCLUSION: In patients with hypertensive emergencies, a higher aldosterone level not only contributed to the development of the organ damage but also was associated with the number of damaged organs in each patient.

Hypertensive Emergency: Parenteral Antihypertensives and Population Data.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Review parenteral therapeutic choices in treatment of hypertensive crises by mechanism of action and summarize recent literature on the management of hypertensive crises. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent data have documented the safety and efficacy of labetalol and nicardipine in treatment of hypertensive crises as well as characterized the hypertensive emergency population to a much greater extent. Based on recent data, hypertensive emergencies are seen in 0.5% of all emergency room visits. Ischemic stroke and heart failure/pulmonary edema are the most common forms of organ damage seen in hypertensive emergencies. There are many therapeutic choices in treatment of hypertensive crises with varied mechanisms of action. Large randomized, controlled trial evidence is lacking in this therapeutic area; however, recent data have documented the safety and efficacy of labetalol and nicardipine.

Prevalence of neurological complaints among emergency department patients with severe hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Severe hypertension can accompany neurological symptoms without obvious signs of target organ damage. However, acute cerebrovascular events can also be a cause and consequence of severe hypertension. We therefore use US population-level data to determine prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with severe hypertension and neurological complaints. METHODS: We used nationally representative data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) collected in 2016-2019 to identify adult ED patients with severely elevated blood pressure (BP) defined as systolic BP ≥ 180 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥120 mmHg. We used ED reason for visit data fields to define neurological complaints and used diagnosis data fields to define acute target organ damage. We applied survey visit weights to obtain national estimates. RESULTS: Based on 5083 observations, an estimated 40.4 million patients (95% CI: 37.5-43.0 million) in EDs nationwide from 2016 to 2019 had severe hypertension, equating to 6.1% (95% CI: 5.7-6.5%) of all ED visits. Only 2.8% (95% CI: 2.0-3.9%) of ED patients with severe hypertension were diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular disease; hypertensive urgency was diagnosed in 92.0% (95% CI: 90.3-93.4%). Neurological complaints were frequent in both patients with (75.6%) and without (19.9%) cerebrovascular diagnoses. Hypertensive urgency patients with neurological complaints were more often older, female, had prior stroke/TIA, and had neuroimaging than patients without these complaints. Non-migraine headache and vertigo were the most common neurological complaints recorded. CONCLUSION: In a nationally representative survey, one-in-sixteen ED patients had severely elevated BP and one-fifth of those patients had neurological complaints.

High-dose nitroglycerin infusion description of safety and efficacy in sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary edema: The HI-DOSE SCAPE study.

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic crashing acute pulmonary edema (SCAPE) is a medical emergency in which severe, acute elevation in blood pressure results in acute heart failure and fluid accumulation in the lungs. Without prompt recognition and treatment, the condition often progresses rapidly to respiratory failure necessitating intubation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. In addition to non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV), high-dose nitroglycerin (HDN) has become a mainstay of treatment; however, an optimal dosing strategy has not been established. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients who received an HDN infusion (≥ 100 µg/min) for the management of SCAPE in the Emergency Department (ED) of a large urban academic medical center. Outcomes were also analyzed to determine predictors of safety and efficacy including use of adjunct medication therapies. RESULTS: There were 67 adult patients who received HDN infusion for SCAPE from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. The median (IQR) systolic blood pressure (SBP) on initiation of HDN infusion was 211 (192-233) mmHg. Patients were 63% male, 84% black, 51% had a history of heart failure (HF), and 36% had end-stage renal disease (ESRD). IV nitroglycerin (NTG) was initiated at a median (IQR) dose of 100 (100-200) mcg/min with median (IQR) peak rate in the first hour of 200 (127.5-200) mcg/min and an absolute maximum observed rate of 400 µg/min overall. 73% of patients received NIPPV, 48% sublingual (SL) or IV bolus nitroglycerin before HDN infusion, 58% loop diuretic, and 34% angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). Rates of ICU admission, intubation, acute kidney injury (AKI) at 48 h, and hypotension were 37%, 21%, 13%, and 4% respectively. CONCLUSION: This is the largest to date study describing the use of an HDN infusion (≥100 µg/min) strategy for the management of SCAPE. HDN infusion may be a safe alternative strategy to intermittent bolus HDN.

Intracranial hemorrhage after a single dose of Yohimbine in a chronic user of clonidine.

INTRODUCTION: Yohimbine, an alpha-2 adrenoreceptor antagonist found in a variety of supplements, has been historically used to treat libido, erectile dysfunction, xerostomia, and as a weight loss enhancement. Yohimbine toxicity causes a sympathomimetic syndrome as demonstrated by the case below of a female who developed an intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) following an ingestion of yohimbine. CASE: This case follows a 39-year-old female who presented to the emergency department (ED) with complaints of nausea, emesis, and flushing following the ingestion of a female sexual enhancement supplement labeled to contain yohimbine (BioXgenic Nature's Desire) one hour prior. The patient took her prescribed 0.1 mg clonidine when the symptoms commenced. Upon arrival, the patient's blood pressure was 198/93. She developed neurological sequelae including a left-sided facial droop and weakness of her right extremities. A computed tomography scan demonstrated an acute basal ganglia hemorrhage with mild mass effect and mild subarachnoid hemorrhage. She was transferred to a regional referral hospital and discharged 16 days later to a rehabilitation center with persistent neurological sequelae. DISCUSSION: This patient exhibited sympathetic toxicity temporally associated with yohimbine ingestion. Our patient also had a variety of risk factors that increased the likelihood of a poor outcome with yohimbine. Chronic use of clonidine is known to down-regulate alpha-2 receptors. This leads to dependence of clonidine to maintain adrenergic homeostasis and could potentiate the effects of yohimbine. To compound effects, our patient was also taking bupropion and desvenlafaxine, which inhibit norepinephrine reuptake, likely worsening our patient's sympathomimetic response. Despite the temporal relationship of our patient's ICH and ingestion of yohimbine, a definitive relationship cannot be inferred due to our lack of confirmatory testing of yohimbine content and possibility of adulterants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the supplement market strictly, with multiple studies illustrating variation among ingredients of supplements despite stated quantities on the labels. CONCLUSION: Dietary supplements are not required by the FDA to undergo efficacy or safety testing, necessitating clear post-marketing communication regarding potential adverse events from various supplements. Users should be aware of yohimbine-containing products and the possible side effects of toxicity. It is crucial that physicians and patients be aware of possible drug-supplement interactions of yohimbine and the presentation of sympathomimetic syndromes.

Poor guideline adherence in a real-world evaluation of hypertensive emergency management.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association define hypertensive emergency (HTN-E) as a systolic blood pressure greater than 180 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure greater than 120 mmHg with evidence of end-organ damage (EOD). Based on expert opinion, current guidelines recommend antihypertensive therapy to reduce blood pressure (BP) at specific hourly rates to reduce progression of EOD, outlined by four criteria. Our goal was to describe compliance with guideline recommendations for early management of HTN-E and to analyze safety outcomes related to pharmacologic intervention. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review including patients presenting to the emergency department with HTN-E between September 2016 and August 2020. We excluded patients with a compelling indication for altered therapeutic goals (e.g. acute aortic dissection, hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, and pheochromocytoma). The primary outcome was complete adherence with guideline recommendations in the first 24 h. RESULTS: Of 758 screened records, 402 were included. Mean age was 54 years and majority Black race (72%). Overall, total adherence was poor (<1%): 30% received intravenous therapy within 1 h, 64% achieved 1-h BP goals, 44% achieved 6-h goals, and 9% had appropriate 24-h maintenance BP. Hypotensive events (N = 67) were common and antihypertensive-associated EOD (N = 21) did occur. Predictors of hypotension include treatment within 1 h and management with continuous infusion medication. CONCLUSIONS: Current practice is poorly compliant with guideline criteria and there are risks associated with recommended treatments. Our results favor relaxing the expert opinion-based recommendations.

Invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring may aid in the medical management of hypertensive patients with acute aortic disease.

INTRODUCTION: Blood pressure (BP) monitoring and management is essential in the treatment of acute aortic disease (AoD). Previous studies had shown differences between invasive arterial BP monitoring (ABPM) and non-invasive cuff BP monitoring (CBPM), but not whether ABPM would result in patients' change of clinical management. We hypothesized that ABPM would change BP management in AoD patients. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of adult patients with AoD admitted to the Critical Care Resuscitation Unit from January 2019 to February 2021. Patients with AoD and both ABPM and CBPM measurements were included. Clinician's BP management goals were assessed in real time before and after arterial catheter placement according to current guidelines. We defined change of management as change of current antihypertensive infusion rate or adding a new agent. We used multivariable logistic and ordinal regressions to determine relevant predictors. RESULTS: We analyzed 117 patients, and 56 (47%) had type A dissection. ABPM was frequently ≥10 mmHg higher than CBPM values. Among 40 (34%) patients with changes in management, 58% (23/40) had [ABPM-CBPM] differences ≥20 mmHg. ABPM prompted increasing current antihypertensive infusion in 68% (27/40) of patients. Peripheral artery disease (OR 13, 95% CI 1.18-50+) was associated with changes in clinical management, and ordinal regression showed hypertension and serum lactate to be associated with differences between ABPM and CBPM. CONCLUSIONS: ABPM was frequently higher than CBPM, resulting in 34% of changes of management, most commonly increasing anti-hypertensive infusion rates.

Hypertensive Crisis-Related Hospitalizations and Subsequent Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Young Adults with Cannabis Use Disorder: A Nationwide Analysis.

Background and Objectives: With the growing recreational cannabis use and recent reports linking it to hypertension, we sought to determine the risk of hypertensive crisis (HC) hospitalizations and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in young adults with cannabis use disorder (CUD+). Material and Methods: Young adult hospitalizations (18−44 years) with HC and CUD+ were identified from National Inpatient Sample (October 2015−December 2017). Primary outcomes included prevalence and odds of HC with CUD. Co-primary (in-hospital MACCE) and secondary outcomes (resource utilization) were compared between propensity-matched CUD+ and CUD- cohorts in HC admissions. Results: Young CUD+ had higher prevalence of HC (0.7%, n = 4675) than CUD- (0.5%, n = 92,755), with higher odds when adjusted for patient/hospital-characteristics, comorbidities, alcohol and tobacco use disorder, cocaine and stimulant use (aOR 1.15, 95%CI:1.06−1.24, p = 0.001). CUD+ had significantly increased adjusted odds of HC (for sociodemographic, hospital-level characteristics, comorbidities, tobacco use disorder, and alcohol abuse) (aOR 1.17, 95%CI:1.01−1.36, p = 0.034) among young with benign hypertension, but failed to reach significance when additionally adjusted for cocaine/stimulant use (aOR 1.12, p = 0.154). Propensity-matched CUD+ cohort (n = 4440, median age 36 years, 64.2% male, 64.4% blacks) showed higher rates of substance abuse, depression, psychosis, previous myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, pulmonary circulation disease, and liver disease. CUD+ had higher odds of all-cause mortality (aOR 5.74, 95%CI:2.55−12.91, p < 0.001), arrhythmia (aOR 1.73, 95%CI:1.38−2.17, p < 0.001) and stroke (aOR 1.46, 95%CI:1.02−2.10, p = 0.040). CUD+ cohort had fewer routine discharges with comparable in-hospital stay and cost. Conclusions: Young CUD+ cohort had higher rate and odds of HC admissions than CUD-, with prevalent disparities and higher subsequent risk of all-cause mortality, arrhythmia and stroke.

Prevalence, Determinants and Clinical Significance of Cardiac Troponin-I Elevation among Individuals with Hypertensive Emergency: A Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) elevation release during hypertensive emergencies (HEs) is a frequent epiphenomenon that may tangle management of individuals being treated for HEs. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, determinants, and clinical significance of cTnI elevation and secondary objective was to find out the prognostic significance of cTnI elevation in patients admitted for HE in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: The investigator has employed the quantitative research approach with a prospective observational descriptive design. The population of this study comprised of 205 adults, which included both males and females, who were more than or 18 years of age. The subjects were selected by non-probability purposive sampling technique. The study was conducted from August 2015 to December 2016 (16 months). Ethical permission was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi and well-informed written consents were taken from the subjects. The analysis of data was done with the help of SPSS, version 17.0. Results: Out of 205 patients in the study, cTnI elevation was found in 102 patients (49.8%). Moreover, there was increased duration of stay in the hospital in patient with elevated cTnI level with mean duration stay 1.55 ± 0.82 (p <0.001). In addition, cTnI elevation was associated with increased mortality, 11 out of 102 in an elevated cTnI group (10.8%) with p <0.002. Conclusion: It was found that cTnI elevation in individuals affected by various clinical factors. The authors highlighted a high frequency of mortality among the individuals presented with HE with elevated cTnI level, whereas the presence of cTnI was associated with greater odds of death. How to cite this article: Gupta K, Kiran M, Chhabra S, Mehta M, Kumar N. Prevalence, Determinants and Clinical Significance of Cardiac Troponin-I Elevation among Individuals with Hypertensive Emergency: A Prospective Observational Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(7):786-790.

Relevance of Troponin I Elevation among Individuals with Hypertensive Emergency.

How to cite this article: Maheshwarappa HM, Rai AV. Relevance of Troponin I Elevation among Individuals with Hypertensive Emergency. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(7):767-769.

Factors associated with appropriate treatment of acute-onset severe obstetrical hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant patients receive expeditious treatment with first-line antihypertensive agents within 1 hour of confirmed severe hypertension to reduce the risk for maternal stroke. However, it is unknown how often this guideline is followed and what factors influence a patient's likelihood of receiving guideline-concordant care. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify factors associated with receiving guideline-concordant treatment for an obstetrical hypertensive emergency. STUDY DESIGN: We present a case-control study of all pregnant and postpartum patients who had persistent severe hypertension (≥2 systolic blood pressures ≥160 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mm Hg, or both within 1 hour of each other) during their delivery hospitalization at a tertiary hospital from October 1, 2013, to August 31, 2020. Data were extracted from the hospital electronic medical records using standard definitions and billing and diagnosis codes. We defined receipt of the recommended treatment as administration of a first-line antihypertensive agent (intravenous labetalol, intravenous hydralazine, or immediate-release oral nifedipine) within 60 minutes of the first or second severe-range blood pressure measurement during their delivery hospitalization. Delayed treatment was defined as the administration of a first-line agent >60 minutes after the second elevated blood pressure measurement. Patients were considered untreated if a first-line agent was never administered. Maternal sociodemographic, clinical and pregnancy factors, and time and day of the week of the hypertensive emergency were compared among patients who received the recommended treatment, those who received delayed treatment, and those who were untreated. Bivariate analyses were performed, and multinomial and multivariable logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS: Of the 39,918 deliveries in the cohort, 1987 (5.0%) were complicated by severe, persistent obstetrical hypertension. Of these patients, 532 (26.8%) received the recommended treatment, 356 (17.9%) received delayed treatment, and 1099 (55.3%) did not receive any first-line antihypertensive therapy. The multinomial regression models that were used to compare these 3 groups indicated that patients who received the recommended treatment were more likely to be Black (adjusted odds ratio, 1.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-2.51), Hispanic (adjusted odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-2.52), or pregnant and at <37 weeks of gestation (adjusted odds ratio, 6.65; 95% confidence interval, 5.08-8.72). Treatment was less likely if the severe obstetrical hypertension emergency occurred overnight (7:00 PM to 6:59 AM) (adjusted odds ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.97) or during the postpartum period (adjusted odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.86). CONCLUSION: Approximately half of obstetrical patients with at least 2 documented severely elevated blood pressure measurements did not receive the recommended antihypertensive treatment. Of those who did receive treatment, about 40% had delayed treatment. Black and Hispanic race and preterm gestation were associated with an increased likelihood of receiving the recommended treatment when compared with White race and term pregnancies. Patients whose severe obstetrical hypertension emergency occurred overnight and those who were postpartum were less likely to receive any first-line antihypertensive treatment. Overall, patients without sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for severe obstetrical hypertension or other pregnancy complications were less likely to be treated. However, treatment improved significantly over time with the implementation of targeted quality measures and specific institutional policies based on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' latest severe obstetrical hypertension management guidelines.

Blood Pressure Reduction in Hypertensive Acute Heart Failure.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the key clinical and research questions regarding blood pressure (BP) reduction with vasodilators in the early management of hypertensive acute heart failure (H-AHF). RECENT FINDINGS: Despite numerous AHF vasodilator clinical trials in the past two decades, virtually none has studied a population where vasoconstriction is the predominant physiology, and with the agents and doses most commonly used in contemporary practice. AHF patients are remarkably heterogenous by vascular tone, and this heterogeneity is not always discernible through BP or clinical exam. Emerging data suggest that diastolic BP may be a stronger correlate of vascular tone in AHF than systolic BP, despite the latter historically serving as a key inclusion criterion for vasodilator clinical trials. Existing data are limited. A clinical trial that evaluates vasodilators in a manner of use consistent with contemporary practice, specifically within the subpopulation of patients with true H-AHF, is greatly needed. Until then, observational data supports long-standing vasodilators such as nitroglycerin, administered by IV bolus, and with goal reduction of SBP ≤25% as a safe first-line approach for patients with severe H-AHF presentations.

Hypertensive crisis in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-induced hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive crisis is an urgent/emergency condition. Although obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in resistant hypertension has been thoroughly examined, information regarding the risk factors and prevalence of hypertensive crisis in co-existing OSA and hypertension is limited. This study thus aimed to determine prevalence of and risk factors for hypertensive crisis in patients with hypertension caused by OSA. METHODS: The inclusion criteria were age of 18 years or over and diagnosis of co-existing OSA and hypertension. Those patients with other causes of secondary hypertension were excluded. Patients were categorized by occurrence of hypertensive crisis. Factors associated with hypertensive crisis were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: There were 121 patients met the study criteria. Of those, 19 patients (15.70%) had history of hypertensive crisis. Those patients in hypertensive crisis group had significant higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure at regular follow-ups than those without hypertensive crisis patients (177 vs. 141 mmHg and 108 vs. 85 mmHg; p value < 0.001 for both factors). After adjusted for age, sex, and Mallampati classification, only systolic blood pressure was independently associated with hypertensive crisis with adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of 1.046 (1.012, 1.080). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypertensive crisis in co-existing OSA and hypertension was 15.70% and high systolic blood pressure or uncontrolled blood pressure associated with hypertensive crisis in patients with OSA-associated hypertension.

Seizures: A Rare Presentation of Autonomic Dysreflexia in a Young Adult with Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

BACKGROUND: Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a common complication for individuals with cervical or upper-mid thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI). It is a life-threatening emergency; however, it is rarely encountered by many emergency physicians, thus, ongoing awareness of the topic is necessary. CASE REPORT: An 18-year-old man with cervical spinal cord injury presented to the Emergency Department with headache, nausea, elevated blood pressure, and seizures. He was treated with antiepileptics and transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The PICU care team recognized AD as the cause of the seizure, secondary to a clogged suprapubic catheter causing overdistension of his bladder. Once replaced, over 1 liter of urine drained from his bladder and his autonomic symptoms resolved. He became hypotensive and required fluid resuscitation, but no further seizures occurred. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Although rare, AD can result in seizures, intracerebral hemorrhage, or even death if not recognized or treated appropriately. Emergency physicians should recognize headaches, facial flushing, and sweating as early symptoms of AD, along with acute elevation in blood pressure (noting that baseline blood pressure may be lower in individuals with SCI). Management involves evaluating and treating noxious stimuli below the level of neurologic injury. Symptom management alone, without resolution of the underlying issue, can add to morbidity and mortality.

[Hypertensive urgencies and emergencies in pediatric patients]. / Nadcisnieniowe stany pilne i nagle u chorych pediatrycznych.

Hypertensive crisis is a sudden rise in blood pressure that is significantly above normal values. Depending on the severity of symptoms, hypertensive crisis can be classified as hypertensive urgency, i.e. severe arterial hypertension (AH) without organ failure and damage with nonspecific symptoms (pain, dizziness, nosebleeds, nausea, vomiting), and hypertensive emergency, i.e. severe AH with organ failure and/or acute organ damage. The most common causes of hypertensive crisis in neonates and infants are vascular diseases (thrombus or stenosis of the renal artery, coarctation of the aorta) or renal parenchymal diseases, in older children kidney diseases and renal artery stenosis, in adolescents also intoxications or pregnancy. In neonates and infants, nonspecific symptoms caused by acute heart failure predominate, and in older children, symptoms from the central nervous system are most typical. Fast- and short-acting medications are used in the treatment of hypertensive urgencies and emergencies; a gradual normalization of blood pressure within 36-48 hours is recommended. Hypertensive emergencies are treated with intravenous drugs (e.g., labetalol, hydralazine), and hypertensive urgencies with intravenous or oral drugs such as nifedipine, clonidine, and minoxidil. Hypertensive emergencies are treated with intravenous drugs (e.g., labetalol, hydralazine), and hypertensive urgencies with intravenous or oral drugs such as nifedipine, clonidine, and minoxidil. Emergency conditions are treated with intravenous drugs (e.g., labetalol, hydralazine), urgent conditions with intravenous or oral drugs such as nifedipine, clonidine, and minoxidil. Some causes of hypertensive crisis require different management, e.g. alpha-blockers in pheochromocytoma. In all patients, evaluation of target organ damage and extensive diagnostics for secondary forms of hypertension is necessary.

Preeclampsia and Related Problems.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy can be classified as chronic hypertension (present before pregnancy), gestational hypertension (onset after 20 weeks of pregnancy), and preeclampsia (onset after 20 weeks of pregnancy, along with proteinuria and other organ dysfunction). Preeclampsia and related disorders are a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Preeclampsia is believed to result from an angiogenic imbalance in the placenta circulation. Antenatal screening and early diagnosis may help improve outcomes. Severe preeclampsia is characterized by SBP ≥160 mm Hg, or DBP ≥110 mm Hg, thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100 × 109/L), abnormal liver function, serum creatinine >1.1 mg/dL, or a doubling of the serum creatinine concentration in the absence of other renal diseases, disseminated intravascular coagulation, pulmonary edema, new-onset headache, or visual disturbances. Severe preeclampsia or eclampsia (preeclampsia with seizures) needs ICU management and is the main cause of morbidity and mortality. Severe hypertension can also result in life-threatening intracranial hemorrhage. Blood pressure control, seizure prevention, and appropriate timing of delivery are the cornerstones of the management of preeclampsia. Besides intravenous antihypertensive drugs, intravenous magnesium sulfate is the drug of choice to prevent or treat seizures, when preparing for urgent delivery. At present, delivery remains the most effective treatment for preeclampsia, and organ dysfunction rapidly recovers after delivery. Novel therapeutic interventions are under development to reduce complications. How to cite this article: Narkhede AM, Karnad DR. Preeclampsia and Related Problems. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(Suppl 3):S261-S266.

Identification of factors associated with delayed treatment of obstetric hypertensive emergencies.

BACKGROUND: Obstetric hypertensive emergency is defined as having systolic blood pressure ≥160 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mm Hg, confirmed 15 minutes apart. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that acute-onset, severe hypertension be treated with first line-therapy (intravenous labetalol, intravenous hydralazine or oral nifedipine) within 60 minutes to reduce risk of maternal morbidity and death. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to identify barriers that lead to delayed treatment of obstetric hypertensive emergency. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was performed that compared women who were treated appropriately within 60 minutes vs those with delay in first-line therapy. We identified 604 patients with discharge diagnoses of chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, or preeclampsia using International Classification of Diseases-10 codes and obstetric antihypertensive usage in a pharmacy database at 1 academic institution from January 2017 through June 2018. Of these, 267 women (44.2%) experienced obstetric hypertensive emergency in the intrapartum period or within 2 days of delivery; the results from 213 women were used for analysis. We evaluated maternal characteristics, presenting symptoms and circumstances, timing of hypertensive emergency, gestational age at presentation, and administered medications. Chi square, Fisher's exact, Wilcoxon rank-sum, and sample t-tests were used to compare the 2 groups. Univariable logistic regression was applied to determine predictors of delayed treatment. Multivariable regression model was also performed; C-statistic and Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used to assess the model fit. A result was considered statistically significant at P<.05. RESULTS: Of the 213 women, 110 (51.6%) had delayed treatment vs 103 (48.4%) who were treated within 60 minutes. Patients who had delayed treatment were 3.2 times more likely to have an initial blood pressure in the nonsevere range vs those who had timely treatment (odds ratio, 3.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.85-5.68). Timeliness of treatment was associated with presence or absence of preeclampsia symptoms; patients without preeclampsia symptoms were 2.7 times more likely to have delayed treatment (odds ratio, 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.50-4.80). Patients with hypertensive emergencies that occurred overnight between 10 pm and 6 am were 2.7 times more likely to have delayed treatment vs those emergencies that occurred between 6 am and 10 pm (odds ratio, 2.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-5.83). Delayed treatment also had an association with race, with white patients being 1.8 times more likely to have delayed treatment (odds ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-3.08). Patients who were treated at <60 minutes had a lower gestational age at presentation vs those with delayed treatment (34.6±5 vs 36.6±4 weeks, respectively; P<.001). For every 1-week increase in gestational age at presentation, there was a 9% increase in the likelihood of delayed treatment (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.19). Another factor that was associated with delay of treatment was having a complaint of labor symptoms, which made patients 2.2 times as likely to experience treatment delay (odds ratio, 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-4.41). CONCLUSION: Initial blood pressure in the nonsevere range, absence of preeclampsia symptoms, presentation overnight, white race, having complaint of labor symptoms, and increasing gestational age at presentation are barriers that lead to a delay in the treatment of obstetric hypertensive emergency. Quality improvement initiatives that target these barriers should be instituted to improve timely treatment.

Peak blood pressure and prediction of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in children.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a risk factor for posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), but the timing and severity of hypertension relative to PRES are unknown. The objective was to identify a clinically meaningful blood pressure (BP) threshold that predicts PRES development in high-risk children. METHODS: We recorded peak systolic BP, diastolic BP, BP z-scores, and mean arterial pressure over the 14 days preceding clinical concern for PRES in 35 subjects who developed PRES, compared to 14 controls who had normal brain magnetic resonance imaging and similar underlying disease, renal function, and medications. We used multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for fluid overload and obesity to estimate the association of peak BP with PRES. We used receiver operating characteristic curves to determine which peak BP thresholds best predicted PRES and calculated the corresponding sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS: Peak systolic BP z-score was most strongly associated with PRES (OR 3.97, 95% CI 1.62-9.74), and peak systolic BP z-score ≥ 3.0 predicted PRES (area under the curve 0.95, 95% CI 0.88-1.0) with 91% sensitivity and 85% specificity, indicating 94% positive predictive value and 79% negative predictive value. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that peak systolic BP z-score ≥ 3.0 in the preceding 14 days predicted PRES development in cases compared with controls in children at high risk. Our study suggests that stage 2 hypertension, corresponding to a z-score ≥ 3.0, could help define hypertensive emergency in high-risk children and indicate when more aggressive treatment is warranted to prevent neurologic injury.

Hypertension Drug Therapy.

Hypertension is still the number one global killer. No matter what causes are, lowering blood pressure can significantly reduce cardiovascular complications, cardiovascular death, and total death. Unfortunately, some hypertensive individuals simply do not know having hypertension. Some knew it but either not being treated or treated but blood pressure does not achieve goal. The reasons for inadequate control of blood pressure are many. One important reason is that we are not very familiar with antihypertensive agents and less attention has been paid to comorbidities, complications as well as the hypertension-modified target organ damage in patients with hypertension. The right antihypertensive drug was not given to the right hypertensive patients at right time. This reviewer studied comprehensively the literature, hopefully that the review will help improve antihypertensive drug selection and antihypertensive therapy.