Effects of intravenous nicardipine in Chinese patients with hypertensive emergencies

The efficacy and safety of nicardipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was evaluated in an uncontrolled, double-masked, randomized study of 53 patients with hypertensive emergencies. Either nicardipine by intravenous bolus followed by constant intravenous infusion for 24 hours (<30 mg/h) (group I, n = 14) or nicardipine by constant intravenous infusion for 24 hours (<30 mg/h) (group II, n = 39) was assigned in a 1:3 ratio. Groups I and II both showed a therapeutic response (decrease in systolic blood pressure > 20 mm Hg and decrease in diastolic blood pressure > 10 mm Hg) 5 and 10 minutes after infusion, respectively. During constant intravenous infusion, blood pressure was stable in both groups. Adverse effects were transient and mild in both groups, except in one patient in group I. The present study demonstrated that the administration of nicardipine by infusion alone and by bolus and infusion are equally effective in the treatment of hypertensive emergency, with rapid onset of action and few adverse effects.