Nicardipine for hypertensive emergencies in children with renal disease.

Hypertensive emergencies secondary to renal diseases were treated with nicardipine in three children. Nicardipine is the first intravenously administered dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. Its physiological actions include vasodilation, with limited effects on the chronotropic and inotropic function of the myocardium. Nicardipine, starting at 5 microg/kg per min and then continued at a maintenance infusion of 1-3 microg/kg per min, effectively controlled the mean arterial pressure in the three patients. Apart from occasional superficial thrombophlebitis in a fourth patient, no adverse effects were noted.