Hypotension after general anesthesia induction using remimazolam in geriatric patients: Protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial

IntroductionIn geriatric patients, hypotension is often reported after general anesthesia induction using propofol. Remimazolam is a novel short-acting sedative. However, the incidence of hypotension after general anesthesia induction using remimazolam in geriatric patients remains unclear. This study aims to compare the incidence of hypotension associated with remimazolam and propofol in patients aged ≥80 years.MethodsThis single-center, double-blind, randomized, two-arm parallel group, standard treatment-controlled, interventional clinical trial will include 90 patients aged ≥80 years undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia who will be randomized to receive remimazolam or propofol for induction. The primary outcome is the incidence of hypotension after general anesthesia induction, occurring between the start of drug administration and 3 min after intubation. We define hypotension as mean blood pressure