02.17.2014 - By Steve Carroll, DO
The patient's blood pressure is 190/80 but they feel fine...how do we treat these patients in the ED? Labs? EKG? BP meds? Admission???...but they are here for an ankle sprain! Asymptomatic hypertension is a challenging complaint to deal with in the ED because of so many conflicting opinions and worries but it doesn't have to be difficult. In this episode, we'll discuss a systematic and rational way to evaluate patients with asymptomatic HTN, do limited and targeting testing, and get them the right followup while calming the patient's fears and avoiding harm.