posted on 2015-09-03, 10:37authored byMatthew Charlton, Jonathan P. Thompson
Antihypertensive drugs are used commonly in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine. Patients might require antihypertensive drugs before surgery for the treatment of essential hypertension, pre-eclampsia or, occasionally, for conditions such as phaeochromocytoma; during surgery as part of a deliberate hypotensive anaesthetic technique; or to reduce postoperative cardiovascular complications. Here, we discuss the physiology of blood pressure control, the pharmacology of antihypertensive drugs, current guidelines, and practical applications of antihypertensive therapy.
History
Citation
Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, 2015, 16 (5), pp. 227-231
Author affiliation
/Organisation/COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY/School of Medicine/Department of Cardiovascular Sciences