ABSTRACT
Rapid improvements in medical technology have made possible lifesaving interventions that keep hospitalized patients alive for longer. However, the downside of these interventions is that patients tend to be sicker, spend longer periods of time in the hospital, and are more in need of intensive medical care than before, leading to an increased prevalence of many nosocomial infections. 1 Also known as a hospital-acquired infection (HAI), a nosocomial infection is acquired in a hospital by a patient who was admitted for a reason other than that infection. Moreover, protracted illness and time on life support for these patients, many of whom are immuno-compromised, have increased reliance on antibiotics to help stave off infection, which in turn has resulted in increasing drug resistance among common, previously treatable HAIs.
