Pathogen distribution and risk factors of pulmonary infection after acute cervical spinal cord injury

Abstract

Objective To investigate the pathogen distribution and risk factors of pulmonary infection after acute cervical spinal cord injury(ACSCI)in an attempt to offer reference for early anti-infection therapy. Methods The study comprised 223 cases who were admitted from October 2011 to October 2014. There were 149 males and 74 females, at(43.3±13.5)years of age. Species of pathogens identified were gram-positive, gram-negative and mixed. Effects of age, gender, injury types and tracheotomy on pathogen distribution were analyzed. Results Gram-negative infection was found in 114 cases(51.1%), with tracheotomy accounting for 7.0% of the cases and death accounting for 1.8% of the cases, and the main causative pathogens were Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Gram-positive infection was found in 41 cases(18.4%), with tracheotomy accounting for 12.2% of the cases and death accounting for 7.3% of the cases, and the main causative pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia. Mixed infection was found in 68 cases(30.5%), with tracheotomy accounting for 22.1% of the cases and death accounting for 13.2% of the cases. Gender had no significant correlation with pathogen distribution. For the cases of complete spinal cord injury and tracheotomy, the ratio of mixed infection increased significantly(P<0.05). For the cases younger than 30 years, the pathogens were mainly gram-positive bacteria(P<0.05). Conclusions Main pathogens of pulmonary infection after ACSCI are gram-negative bacteria. The cases younger than 30 years are associated with higher risk of gram-positive infection, while the cases with complete injury or tracheotomy are associated with higher risk of mixed infection. Key words: Spinal cord injuries; Lung diseases; Pathogen