• Nifedipine, a calcium channel-blocking agent, was administered buccally to 63 patients who had a diastolic BP of 120 mm Hg or higher (51 patients) or a systolic BP of 200 mm Hg or higher (46 patients). Forty-two patients responded to one dose of 10 mg of nifedipine with a drop in BP from 205.5±24.4/ 127.7±11.7 (mean systolic BP±SD/mean diastolic BP±SD) to 158.6±24.7/88.8±10 mm Hg in 39.9±13.0 minutes (mean±SD). Nineteen patients responded to two doses of 10 mg of nifedipine with a drop in BP from 212.1±27.1/128.2±17.3 to 165.4±24.5/93.8±10.7 mm Hg after 66.0±17.8 minutes. There were no side effects and no hypotension even among the 38 patients who had recently received other medications. Chewing perforated nifedipine capsules is a safe and effective method to lower BP promptly without parenteral medications.
{Arch Intern Med 1984;144:2357-2359)