Study design and patient selection
Neuromuscular block
NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCK
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Third Xiangya Hospital. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Inclusion criteria were: aged 60 to 85 years, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status 1 to 3, and scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia with cisatracurium for tracheal intubation. Exclusion criteria were: BMI < 18.5 kg/mPatients were randomly assigned into four groups according to the dose of neostigmine used, using a computer generated list of random numbers. Neuromuscular block was induced with cisatracurium and neostigmine 0 µg/kg (Normal Saline, NS), 20 µg/kg, 40 µg/kg or 50 µg/kg was administered at a TOF ratio of 0.2 to reverse the block. Anaesthesia nurses who were not involved in the care of the patients helped prepare the study drug according to randomisation.