To investigate the distribution and drug resistance of the pathogens causing lung infection in patients survived from brain trauma rehabilitation, and to provide evidence for reasonable use of antibiotics.

The pathogenic bacteria isolated from lower respiratory tract of 460 patients who rehabilitated from craniocerebral trauma complicated with pulmonary infection were collected from January 2012 to May 2015 in our hospital. The pathogenic bacteria were cultured and drug sensitivity test was performed by disk diffusion method, and the results were analyzed according to the National Committee for clinical laboratory standards standards.

Among the 460 patients with traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, 80 cases were with pulmonary infection, the infection rate was 17.39%. Total of 42 strains (52.50%) of Gram negative bacteria were isolated, and 31 strains (38.75%) of Gram positive bacteria were isolated. The main Gram negative bacteria were Escherichia coli (14 strains), Klebsiella pneumoniae (12 strains), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11 strains) and Enterobacter cloacae (3 strains). The Gram positive bacteria were mainly Staphylococcus epidermidis (17 cases) and Staphylococcus aureus (9 strains). In addition, 7 strains (8.75%) of fungi were isolated, among which 4 strains were smooth Candida, 2 strains were Candida albicans and 1 strains were Candida tropicalis. Most pathogens were multi-drug resistant to antibiotics, the rates of drug resistance for Gram negative bacteria to gentamicin, amikacin, ceftazidime, cefepime and ciprofloxacin were high (all > 40%); the rates of drug resistance for Gram positive bacteria to penicillin G, erythromycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol and tobramycin were all high (all > 60%).

Gram-negative bacteria were the main bacteria causing lung infection in patients survived from brain trauma and underwent rehabilitation, all with multi-drug resistance. It was necessary to strengthen the separation of pathogens and drug-resistance analysis to direct the clinical rational use of antimicrobial agents and effective infection control.