ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors of delirium in mechanical ventilation patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsA total of 97 mechanically ventilated non-hypertensive patients with COPD who were admitted to this department from January 2018 to October 2018 were selected as subjects. The patients were divided into 49 cases with delirium and 48 cases non-delirium according to the Consciousness Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Uint. The examined data were collected in the patients such as pH, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationⅡ (APACHEⅡ) scores were calculated in the pre-mechanical (d0) and mechanically ventilated 3rd (d3), 5th (d5) days. The mechanical ventilation days were recorded in the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors influencing delirium of patients.ResultsThe PaCO2, NSE, APACHEⅡ scores and mechanical ventilation days were higher in the delirium group than in the non-delirium group ［(88.1±7.5) vs. (85.3±6.2) mm Hg; (28.4±5.8) vs. (26.1±3.3) μg/L; (23.7±3.9) vs. (21.7±2.6); (7.5±1.3) d vs. (6.6±1.2) d］ and PaO2 were lower than non-delirium group ［(54.9±5.5) vs. (57.2±3.1) mm Hg］, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PaO2, NSE, APACHEⅡ scores and mechanical ventilation days were risk factors for delirium in mechanically ventilated patients with COPD (regression coefficients were –0.177, 0.163, 0.203, 0.597 respectively, P<0.05). The PaO2 and APACHEⅡ scores of mechanical ventilation on the 3rd and 5th day of the two groups ［d3 (88.3±5.3) vs. (89.1±6.9) mm Hg; d5 (90.3±9.0) vs. (91.3±6.4) mm Hg; d3 (21.7±3.0) vs. (21.4±2.2); d5 (20.9±2.8) vs. (20.7±2.1)］ were not statistically significant (P>0.05).The NSE changes on the 3rd and 5th day of mechanical ventilation ［d3 (30.0±5.3) vs. (26.8±3.6) μg/L; d5 (27.3±4.3) vs. (25.7±2.6) μg/L］ were statistically significant (P<0.05).ConclusionPaO2, NSE, APACHEⅡ score and mechanical ventilation days are risk factors for delirium in COPD patients with mechanical ventilation and NSE is one of the more important risk factors.