Background:
The number of patients with hypertension urgencies (HTN-Us) and emergencies (HTN-Es) in the emergency department is relatively constant despite improved detection, awareness and control of arterial hypertension.
Objective:
This study analyses the precision of the often-used definition of HTN-E, particularly the phrase ‘with the evidence of impending or progressive hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD)’. We then provide a rationale for the concept of impending HMOD.
MethodS:
We searched PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, Oxford Press, Wiley, SAGE and Google Scholar and analysed the relevant definition.
Results:
The definition of HTN-E is suboptimal and requires a consensus on whether to include the phrase ‘impending hypertensive HMOD’ in the definition.
Conclusion:
A consensus on the principles of treating the ‘impending hypertensive HMOD’ does not exist, making its use inconsistent in emergency departments worldwide. In this paper, we present a rationale for the concept of ‘impending HMOD’.