ObjectiveTo determine whether there was a clinical relevant association between anesthetic regimen (propofol or inhalational anesthetics) and the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted on patients with elective cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at West China Hospital of Sichuan University between October 2018 and March 2019. The patients were divided into a propofol group or an inhalational anesthetics group according to anesthetic regimen (including CPB). The primary outcome was the occurrence of POD during first 3 days after surgery. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between anesthetic regimen and the occurrence of POD.ResultsA total of 197 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included, with an average age of 53 years, and 51.8% (102/197) were females. POD occurred in 21.3% (42/197) patients. The incidence of POD was 21.4% in the propofol group and 21.2% in the inhalational anesthetics group; there was no significant difference between the two groups (RR=1.01, 95%CI 0.51-2.00, P=0.970). Logistic regression analysis did not find that anesthetic regimen was a risk factor for delirium after cardiac surgery after adjusting risk factors (OR=1.05, 95%CI 0.48-2.32, P=0.900).ConclusionAnesthetic regimen (propofol or inhalational anesthetics) is not associated with an increased risk for POD in adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery under CPB.