What blood pressure reading indicates a hypertensive urgency?

Prepare for the Adult–Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (AGACNP) Test. Practice with comprehensive quizzes, gain confidence with detailed explanations, and excel in your exam!

A blood pressure reading indicating a hypertensive urgency is typically defined as a systolic reading of 180 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic reading of 110 mm Hg or higher, without immediately life-threatening organ damage. Among the options provided, the reading of 180/110 meets this criterion.

In hypertensive urgency, the blood pressure elevation is significant enough to pose a risk for complications but does not involve acute end-organ dysfunction. Therefore, while a reading of 160/100 is concerning, it does not reach the thresholds indicating urgency. Similarly, the readings of 200/120 and 220/130 would suggest hypertensive emergency, where immediate treatment is required to prevent organ damage, but they exceed the threshold for urgency. Thus, 180/110 is the precise reading demonstrating a hypertensive urgency scenario where close monitoring and gradual reduction of blood pressure is indicated.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy