Incidence and Risk Factors of Delirium in COPD Patient in Intensive Care Unit

Background: Delirium is an abnormal mental state that, in some patients, is associated with disturbances in sleep cycles, orientation, and perception. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of delirium in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: In this registry study conducted in Iran, data from 74 COPD patients aged over 18 years, without dementia, and hospitalized in the internal ICU for more than 2 days were analyzed. The registry checklist included information on gender, infection, fever, serum creatinine ≥ 1.2 mg/dL, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, chronic renal failure, discharge destination, age, number of days in the hospital, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 18 software. Results: Of the 74 patients examined, 19 (25.7%) experienced delirium, while 55 (74.3%) showed no symptoms of delirium. The incidence of delirium was higher in patients with a history of infection and fever. Delirium was significantly associated with older age, lower GCS scores, and lower PaO2 levels (P < 0.05). In the delirium group, the mean age was 73.21 ± 7.64 years, the length of stay (LOS) in the hospital was 27.42 ± 11.57 days, the GCS score was 6.10 ± 0.87, and the PaO2 was 75.26 ± 3.42 mmHg. In contrast, in the non-delirium group, the mean age was 66.25 ± 11.12 years, the LOS was 23.87 ± 8.16 days, the GCS score was 10.65 ± 2.61, and the PaO2 was 82.12 ± 4.93 mmHg. Conclusions: The incidence of delirium in COPD patients in the ICU was high. Identifying effective and aggravating factors is crucial, and necessary measures should be implemented to reduce the occurrence of delirium.