Treatment of hypertensive emergencies

Hypertensive emergencies are diagnosed if there is a systolic blood pressure higher than 180 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure higher than 120 mmHg with the presence of acute target organ damage (1-6). Hypertensive urgencies are diagnosed if there is a systolic blood pressure higher than 180 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure higher than 120 mmHg in an otherwise stable person without clinical or laboratory evidence of acute target organ damage (1-6). These persons need intensification of their antihypertensive drug therapy.