Hypertensive Emergency Sympathetic Crashing Acute Pulmonary Edema

Precipitating Factors: Predisposing Factors:

• Long Standing Hypertension • Male aged 45 – 75 years old.
• Heart Diseases (i.e., Coronary Artery Disease, Cardiomyopathy, • Male and female after the age of 75 years old.
Heart Valve Problems)
• Other heart problems (i.e., Myocarditis, Congenital Heart Defects,
Arrhythmias)
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Renal Artery Stenosis
• Stress
• Alcohol Use.

Sympathetic Overstimulation
Increased Blood Pressure
Increased pressure
Systemic Vasoconstriction in interstitial
Increased afterload spaces.

Decreased cardiac output. Increased workload of the

heart Increased pressure Fluid in interstitial Fluid in alveoli /
in the LV spaces Pulmonary Edema
If not solved, can lead to
Hypoxemia kidney problems (i.e., CKD)
due to reduced blood flow to S&S:
the kidneys. • Tachycardia S&S:
Pooling of blood in Increased
• Palpitations * Breathlessness*
Hypoxia LV and backflows pulmonary capillary
* Dyspnea* • Feeling of suffocation
Dizziness*
to the LA pressure.
* * Tachypnea with noisy
* Orthopnea* breathing. *
* Exertional Dyspnea* * Low O2 Sat. *
S&S:
* Chest pain* * Crackles on all fields. *
• Restlessness Increased
• Headache * Nasal Flarring*
If prolonged can lead to: pulmonary venous
• Confusion * Irregular breathing*
• Heart Failure pressure.
* Diaphoresis*
• Tachycardia
* Tachypnea* • Left Ventricular * Abdominal breathing. *
• Anxiety Hypertrophy
* Dyspnea*
* Chest pain*