Blood pressure management and guideline adherence in hypertensive emergencies and urgencies: A comparison between telemedically supported and conventional out-of-hospital care

Abstract

Prehospital hypertensive emergencies and urgencies are common, but evidence is lacking. Telemedically supported hypertensive emergencies and urgencies were prospectively collected (April 2014–March 2015) and compared retrospectively with a historical control group of on-scene physician care in the emergency medical service of Aachen, Germany. Blood pressure management and guideline adherence were evaluated. Telemedical (n=159) vs conventional (n=172) cases: blood pressure reductions of 35±24 mm Hg vs 44±23 mm Hg revealed a group effect adjusted for baseline differences (P=.0006). Blood pressure management in categories: no reduction 6 vs 0 (P=.0121); reduction ≤25% (recommended range) 113 vs 110 patients (P=.2356); reduction >25% to 30% 13 vs 29 (0.020); reduction >30% 12 vs 16 patients (P=.5608). The telemedical approach led to less pronounced blood pressure reductions and a tendency to improved guideline adherence. Telemedically guided antihypertensive care may be an alternative to conventional care especially for potentially underserved areas.