A Randomized Comparison of Nifedipine and Sodium Nitroprusside in Severe Hypertension

We randomized patients with severe hypertension in the Medical Intensive Care Unit to a treatment regimen of oral nifedipine or intravenous nitroprusside. Patients treated with nifedipine achieved a sustained reduction in diastolic blood pressure to ≤120 mm Hg in an average of less than five hours. Patients treated with nitroprusside achieved a similar reduction in 14 hours (p