Hypotension overview
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Hypotension Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Studies |
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Hypotension overview On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Hypotension overview |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Hypotension refers to an abnormally low blood pressure. This is best understood as a physiologic state, rather than a disease. It is often associated with shock, though not necessarily indicative of it. Hypotension is not to be confused with hypertension, which is high blood pressure, the opposite of hypotension. Hypotension is a fairly rare problem, hypertension is a much more common problem. Hypotension is almost never a serious problem, although in some very rare cases it can be life threatening.