Patients experience and actions of hypertension crisis management

Severe increase in arterial blood pressure can lead to urgent or emergent hypertensive crisis and may induce acute organ damage. The aim of this research was to determine patients, general practitioners and State Emergency Medical Service doctors opinion about primary hypertension daily treatment and hypertensive crisis solving options. Quantitative data analysis from patients and doctors filled questionnaires. 75 primary arterial hypertension patients, 27 general practitioners and 72 State Emergency medicine doctors in Riga were included in this study. From responders (patients) 54 (69.3%) have called for Emergency medical help, 23 have not (30,7%). There were statistically significant association between patients who already have medication for hypertensive crisis treatment and have called for an Ambulance (52,2%) than those who has not medication for hypertensive crisis management (17.3%), p<0.05. In case of hypertensive crisis only 6 of responders (8%) have called to Medical Advice line and 25 (33.3%) have called their general practitioner. 74,6% Ambulance doctors regard that most of hypertension patients call for Emergency help unreasonable, but so do only 5 out of 27 general practitioners; 20 out of 27 general practitioners regard that most of those patients actually need urgent medical help. Most of patients who call for an Emergency medical help already have medications for hypertensive crisis management and only few of them in case of hypertensive crisis call for a medical consultation.