Usual Intravenous Doses of Antihypertensive Agents Used in Hypertensive Emergenciesa
| Antihypertensive Agent | IV Dose |
|---|---|
| Nitroprusside | Initial 0.3 (mg/kg)/min; usual 2-4 (mg/kg)/min; maximum 10 (mg/kg)/min for 10 min |
| Nicardipine | Initial 5 mg/h; titrate by 2.5 mg/h at 5-15 min intervals; max 15 mg/h |
| Labetalol | 2 mg/min up to 300 mg or 20 mg over 2 min, then 40-80 mg at 10-min intervals up to 300 mg total |
| Enalaprilat | Usual 0.625-1.25 mg over 5 min every 6-8 h |
| Esmolol | Initial 80-500 mg/kg over 1 min, then 50-300 (mg/kg)/min |
| Phentolamine | 5-15 mg bolus |
| Nitroglycerin | Initial 5 mcg/min, then titrate by 5 mcg/min at 3-5 min intervals; if no response is seen at 20 mcg/min, incremental increases of 10-20 mcg/min may be used |
| Hydralazine | 10-50 mg at 30-min intervals |
aConstant blood pressure monitoring is required. Start with the lowest dose. Subsequent doses and intervals of administration should be adjusted according to the blood pressure response and duration of action of the specific agent.