Acute carbon monoxide poisoning is a common and frequently occurring disease in winter and spring in China, with high disability and mortality. Delayed encephalopathy is a serious sequela after the pseudo-convalescence. Its mechanism is complex, including environmental and genetic factors, hypoxia and energy metabolism disorder, cytotoxicity and oxygen free radical damage, immune disorder and inflammatory activation, neurotransmitter disorder, brain parenchymal changes, vascular and hemorheological abnormalities, calcium overload, and cell apoptosis. At present, methods for predicting delayed encephalopathy in acute carbon monoxide poisoning include detailed inquiry of medical history, laboratory examination of relevant indicators, electrophysiological examination, brain imaging examination, and evaluation scale prediction. This review summarizes the research status of the pathogenesis and early prediction methods of delayed encephalopathy in acute carbon monoxide poisoning, with a view to providing reference for future research directions.