Abstract:Objective To compare Penehyclidine-induced delirium with Atropine-induced delirium in the treatment of acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning (AOPP). Methods Totally 121 clinical cases of AOPP, who were treated from May 2011 to April 2015, were randomly divided into Atropine group (n = 59, receiving regular Atropine treatment) and Penehyclidine group (n = 62, receiving regular Penehyclidine treatment). The Intensive Care Delirium Screening Scale (ICDSC) was used to assess the scores of delirium. The incidence, starting time and duration of delirium in the two groups were analyzed and compared. The disappearance time of muscarinic symptoms (M), the recovery time of cholinesterase (CHE) and the duration of hospital stay were recorded. Results The recovery time of CHE in the Penehyclidine group was significantly shorter than that in the Atropine group, and the overall cure rate in the Penehyclidine group was higher than that in the Atropine group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the average duration of hospital stay between the two groups. Atropine could block M choline receptor more quickly in the moderate and severe poisoning patients than Penehyclidine (P < 0.05). Although delirium appeared earlier in the Atropine group (P < 0.05), the incidence of delirium was significantly higher and the duration of delirium was longer in the Penehyclidine group than in the Atropine group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Although Penehyclidine has good therapeutic effect on AOPP, the related delirum should be valued. Maybe the ICDSC can be taken as a guidance for the dosage of Penephyclidine or Atropine to reduce the occurrence of drug-related delirium.