Pregnant women or women in the postpartum period with acute-onset, severe systolic hypertension; severe diastolic hypertension; or both require antihypertensive therapy. The goal is not to normalize BP, but to achieve a range of 140-150/90-100 mm Hg in order to prevent repeated, prolonged exposure of the patient to severe systolic hypeytention, with subsequent loss of cerebral vasculature autoregulation. When this happens, maternal stabilization should occur before delivery, even in urgent circumstances(11). When acute-onset, severe hypertention is diagnosed in the office setting, the patient should be expeditiously sent to the hospital for treatment. Also, if transfer to a tertiary center is likely (eg, for preterm severe preeclampsia), BP should be stabilized and other measures initiated as appropriate, such as magnesium sulfate before transfer. Another risk for severe hypertension is endotracheal intubation, an intervention that is well known to increase BP sometimes to severe levels that require emergent therapeutic intervention (11). Induction of general anesthesia and intubation should never be undertaken without first taking steps to eliminate or minimize the hypertensive response to intubation. Close maternal and fetal monitoring by the physician and nursing staff are advised during the treatment of acute-onset, severe hypertension and judicious fluid administration is recommended even in the case of oliguria. After initial stabilization, the team should monitor BP closely and institute maintenance therapy as needed.