Abstract

MELIA PEREZ, Dania; CASTANEDA ABASCAL, Ileana Elena  and  PULLES CUERVO, Jorge Carlos. Characterization of unclassified hypertensive patients who go to the emergency service. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2009, vol.35, n.4, pp. 128-138. ISSN 1561-3127.

Introduction The high prevalence of blood hypertension in the last few years has become one of the most significant health problems for the contemporary medicine. Objectives To characterize those hypertensive patients, who were neither classified nor treated as such by their family physician´s office, and who went to the emergency service of "28 de Enero" polyclinics in Playa municipality, City of Havana, in 2006. Methods One hundred and ninety patients aged over 15 years were studied; all of them had undergone clinical and lab tests and they were given a semi-structured survey. The information was summarized in whole numbers and percentages for qualitative variables and in average values and standard deviation figures for quantitative variables. All the patients accepted to participate in the study. Data confidentiality was guaranteed. Results There was a significant number of patients with risk factors affecting their disease, such as stress that was reported in 100% of patients. Eighty percent presented with left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertensive retinopathy and creatinine abnormal values, so they were classified as stage 2 of organ impact of the disease. Conclusions The lack of medical classification of these studied hypertensive patients prevents them from receiving adequate treatment and follow-up by the health team, all of which increases the risk of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal complications in the future. An orderly medical classification of hypertensive patients at the family physician´s office can change this situation.

Keywords : Blood hypertension; primary health care; medical emergency services.

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