Severe Hypertension Treated with Ganglion-blocking Drugs in a General Hospital

Abstract

Ganglion-blocking drugs have enabled physicians to lower the blood-pressure of patients with severe hypertension. Reports from specialized units have shown that the life expectancy of patients with malignant hypertension can be improved by this treatment (Smirk, 1954;Barnett, 1956;Dustan et al., 1958;Perry and Schroeder, 1958;Harington et al., 1959). The enthusiasm of physicians particularly interested in this problem has been thought by many to play an important part in the results achieved by these units, and it has been implied that treatment in general hospitals will be disappointing in