July 5, 2012 -- Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are contracted during the course of receiving medical care and can be devastating or even deadly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.7 million hospital patients―4.5 of every 100 admissions―become infected each year and that these infections cause or contribute to the deaths of nearly 100,000 people. Survivors may endure years of follow-up treatment, multiple surgeries, even permanent disability.