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World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2026; 16(7): 117992
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.117992
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.117992
Study on risk factors and interaction effects of delirium in patients with severe pneumonia in intensive care unit
Jie Zhen, Yuan-Long Li, Yi-Fei Xu, Wei Chen, Department of Intensive Care Unit, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
Jie Zhen, Yuan-Long Li, Yi-Fei Xu, Wei Chen, Emergency and Critical Care Medical Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
Lin-Jia Guo, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
Author contributions: Zhen J conceived the project and wrote the manuscript; Li YL designed the study and acquired the data; Xu YF analyzed the data; Guo LJ reviewed and edited the manuscript; Chen W designed the study and reviewed the manuscript; all authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Supported by the 2022 Beijing Major Epidemic Prevention and Control Key Specialized Construction Project, No. ZDYQFZZDZK.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University (No. IIT2025-023-001).
Informed consent statement: The retrospective study waived informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: The data used in this study can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Wei Chen, MD, Doctor, Department of Intensive Care Unit, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Tieyi Road, Yangfangdian, Haidian Dis
Received: February 3, 2026
Revised: March 12, 2026
Accepted: March 23, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 142 Days and 21.1 Hours
Revised: March 12, 2026
Accepted: March 23, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 142 Days and 21.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: The results of this study show that delirium affects 25.91% of intensive care unit patients with severe pneumonia. Prolonged mechanical ventilation, elevated blood lactate levels, and higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores are independent risk factors for delirium development. Notably, diabetes, arterial oxygen saturation, and APACHE II score demonstrate significant three-way interaction effects, suggesting that delirium results from complex synergistic pathophysiological processes. Early identification of high-risk patients using these combined indicators may enable targeted preventive interventions, ultimately improving clinical outcomes in this vulnerable population.