Blood Pressure Measurements at Emergency Department Visits by Adults: United States, 2007–2008

Persistently elevated blood pressure (BP), or hypertension, is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and renal failure. In 2007–2008, 29% of U.S. civilians had hypertension. Only one-half of persons with hypertension had their BP under control, with lower rates for persons aged 18–39 years and Hispanic persons (1). Because elevated BP in the emergency department (ED) may reflect underlying hypertension, the American College of Emergency Physicians recommends that patients with systolic BP greater than 140 mm Hg or diastolic BP greater than 90 mm Hg be referred for follow-up (2). This brief describes the distribution of elevated BP readings in the ED. The data are presented by severity level because the risk of complications increases with the severity of underlying hypertension (3).