To investigate the clinical distribution and antibiotics resistance of nosocomial pathogenic bacteria infection in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes after cardiac surgery.

The nosocomial infection data of patients older than 65 years with type 2 diabetes after cardiac surgery from January August 2007 to August 2014 were analyzed retrospectively.

Total of 407 patients older than 65 years with type 2 diabetes underwent cardiac surgery from January August 2007 to August 2014, including 46 cases (11.3%) with nosocomial infection. Total of 138 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated, mainly respiratory (55.9%) and blood system (15.2%) infections. Nosocomial infection rate of elderly patients with glycosylated hemoglobin > 7% was significantly higher than that of elderly patients with glycosylated hemoglobin ≤ 7% (17.1% vs. 12.3%; χ² = 5.8, P = 0.01). However, patients with glycosylated hemoglobin > 7% or ≤ 7% in both groups, respiratory infections had no significant differences (8.0% vs. 6.4%; χ² = 0.4, P = 0.58). Nosocomial infection rate of elderly patients with urinary tube longer than 15 days was significantly higher than that of patients less than 15 days (6.5% vs. 1.3%; χ² = 6.8, P = 0.001). The majority of Gram-negative bacteria were Acinetobacter (21.7%), where as Staphylococcus epidermis was the most in Gram-positive bacteria (13.1%). Acinetobacter baumannii, Hemolytic staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus all showed multidrug resistance.

Patients older than 65 years with type 2 diabetes after cardiac surgery have a high incidence of nosocomial infection. And drug resistance also increases gradually. It is necessary to monitor and control perioperative blood sugar and use antimicrobial drugs rationally in order to reduce the nosocomial infection and mortality in patients older than 65 years with type 2 diabetes.