Abstract: Objective To explore the characteristics of nosocomial infection in patients with spinal cord injury, and analyze the risk factors.Methods From January, 2015 to June, 2017, 526 patients with spinal cord injury in our hospital were reviewed. The distribution of pathogens and the characteristics of drug resistance of strains were summarized, and the risk factors of nosocomial infection were analyzed.Results There were 159 person-times with nosocomial infection, and most of the infections were found in urinary tract (60.4%) and lower in respiratory tract (28.9%). The main pathogenic germs were Escherichia coli (39.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.3%) and Proteus mirabilis (9.4%). The main pathogens were resistant to second or third generation of cephalosporins and quinolones moderately or severely, but sensitive to compound preparations containing beta-lactamase inhibitors, carbapenems and aminoglycosides. The risk factors for the nosocomial infections in the spinal cord injury patients included the hospitalization time, severity of spinal cord injury, invasive operation history, nutritional risk and use of antibiotics (P < 0.05).Conclusion Most of the nosocomial infections in patients with spinal cord injury are in urinary tract and respiratory tract. Gram-negative bacilli are the main pathogenic bacteria, which often show multiple drug resistance. It is necessary to take targeted interventions according to the risk factors of nosocomial infections in order to improve the quality of life of patients.

Key words: spinal cord injury, nosocomial infection, pathogens, risk factors