Abstract: Objective To investigate the influence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) to clinical outcome in adult patients and the risk factor. Methods 122 patients after operation on chest were surveyed with Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised China (WAIS-RC) within 3 d before operation and on the 7th day after operation. Their pulmonary functions were measured before discharged. Their time on bed, total time in hospital, time after operation in hospital, time in intensive care unit and spending for therapy were investigated. Results 45 patients were finally diagnosed as POCD (POCD group) 7 d after operation. Before operation, the age, the body weight index, the smoking index and the number of risk factor of angiosclerosis in the POCD group were all higher than those whose cognitive function were normal (normal group) (P<0.05). The sores of insight, count, digit scope, vocabulary, figure collocation, figure patch of WAIS-RC in POCD group were obviously lower than those in normal group (P<0.05). Every index of pulmonary function in POCD group was lower than those in normal group(P<0.05). The time keeping on bed, total time in hospital, time after operation in hospital, time in intensive care unit and spending for therapy in POCD group all exceeded those in normal group (P<0.05).Conclusion The adult patients with POCD may spend more time and money for therapy in hospital, and their pulmonary functions may be recovered poorly.

Key words: thoracic surgery, cognitive function, postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), pulmonary function, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale