Hypertensive Crisis in an Era of Escalating Health Care Changes

Over the past decade, the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) in the United States has escalated, and today's acute care advance practice nurses (APNs) are likely to encounter more patients experiencing a hypertensive crisis. In this article, we highlight the rising prevalence and financial burden of HTN. Causes of hypertensive crisis, the clinical differences between HTN emergency and HTN urgency, and current recommendations for crisis management are discussed. Managing primary HTN is critical to preventing the development of hypertensive crisis.