Oral nifedipine in hypertensive emergencies.

A study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of oral nifedipine in hypertensive emergencies. Eleven consecutive patients with very high blood pressure requiring emergency reduction were included in the study. Nifedipine (10 mg) was given orally at 6-hourly intervals and blood pressure, pulse, serum electrolytes, urea, creatinine and uric acid were monitored. A reduction in blood pressure was noted within 10 minutes, with a significant reduction occurring within 30 minutes (reduction of systolic blood pressure by 8.11% and diastolic blood pressure by 9.38%). The maximum reduction in blood pressure occurred within 90 minutes (reduction of systolic blood pressure by 20.78% and diastolic blood pressure by 21.74%) and remained at this level for 4 hours, after which a mild increase in blood pressure was noted. At 6 hours, the reduction in blood pressure was 15.41% and diastolic reduction was 17.94%. The reduction in blood pressure was found to be directly correlated with the pre-treatment blood pressure. There was no significant alteration in the pulse rate or blood chemistry. No side-effects were noted during the study. It is suggested that oral nifedipine is a simple, effective and well-tolerated alternative to parenteral therapy in the management of hypertensive emergencies.