What would you do next?

Question

A 62-year-old woman has been followed by you for 3 years and has had recent onset of hypertension. She is still not at goal despite three antihypertensive medicines, and you strongly doubt nonadherence. Her father died of a heart attack at age 58. Today her pressure is 168/94 and pressure on the other arm is similar.

A) Add a fourth medicine
B) Refer to nephrology
C) Get a CT scan
D) Listen closely to her abdomen

Answer 1

D) Listen closely to her abdomen

At this point, it is important to consider secondary causes for this woman's hypertension because of its severity, rapidity of progression, and lack of response to therapy. While you will most likely add a fourth medicine, it is important to carefully examine the abdomen for the presence of renal artery bruits. These are usually heard best in the upper quadrants. It may be necessary to have the patient hold her breath, to have a very quiet room, and to listen with the diaphragm for a very soft, high-pitched sound with systole. It may also help to simultaneously feel the patient's pulse (a bruit with both a systolic and diastolic component is very specific for a significant blockage, while a lone systolic bruit may not be abnormal). Obtaining a CT scan is not likely to be useful, and you may save the delay, expense, and inconvenience of a nephrology referral if you can hear a bruit.