Final answer:
Several classes of antihypertensive medications can be used in a hypertensive emergency, including thiazide-diuretics, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and ß-blockers. ß-blockers can improve cardiac function in a compromised system, while ACE inhibitors and ARBs help lower blood pressure. It's important to use these medications with caution and avoid overprescription.
Step-by-step explanation:
Several classes of medications, collectively referred to as antihypertensive medications, are available for treating hypertension. First-line medications for hypertension include thiazide-diuretics, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). These medications may be used alone or in combination (ACE inhibitors and ARBs are not recommended for use in combination); the latter option may serve to minimize counter-regulatory mechanisms that act to restore blood pressure values to pre-treatment levels. Most people require more than one medication to control their hypertension. Medications for blood pressure control should be implemented by a stepped care approach when target levels are not reached.
Used as an IV drip for those patients experiencing a hypertensive crisis.
Used to lower blood pressure,if the patient is at risk for heart failure.
Possibly the most familiar type of sympatholytic drug are the ß-blockers. These drugs are often used to treat cardiovascular disease because they block the ß-receptors associated with vasoconstriction and cardioacceleration. By allowing blood vessels to dilate, or keeping heart rate from increasing, these drugs can improve cardiac function in a compromised system, such as for a person with congestive heart failure or who has previously suffered a heart attack. A couple of common versions of ß-blockers are metoprolol, which specifically blocks the B1-receptor, and propanolol, which nonspecifically blocks B-receptors. There are other drugs that are a-blockers and can affect the sympathetic system in a similar way.
NE binds to the beta-1 receptor. Some cardiac medications (for example, beta blockers) work by blocking these receptors, thereby slowing HR and are one possible treatment for hypertension. Overprescription of these drugs may lead to bradycardia and even stoppage of the heart.