The main route of spread of infection in a health
care facility is transmission of microorganisms
onto the hands of health care workers.1 Each
year, approximately 5% to 10% of hospitalized
patients are infected by one or more hospitalacquired
organisms. Among those, 20% are surgical
site infections. Approximately 90,000 patients
die each year because of hospital-acquired infections
(HAIs). Ventilator-associated pneumonias
(VAPs) account for 14% of HAIs but are responsible
for 25% of the deaths. The problem with an HAI is
that the organism is usually resistant in 70% of
cases to one or more antibiotics.2 Approximately
20% of health care workers carry Staphylococcus
aureus in their nose but are nonsymptomatic.