Antibiotic resistance started being a noticeable problem in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Since then, resistance to dozens of drugs has become a serious (and sometimes fatal) problem. In May 2016, the first case of an antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli (carrying the MCR-1 gene) was discovered in a human in the United States. The MCR-1 gene makes the bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin, which is used as a last-resort drug to treat patients with multi-drug-resistant infections.

If no changes are made, 10 million people per year are expected to die from drug-resistant infections by the year 2050, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Hospitals are meant to lead people along a path to healing, but at what point does the risk become too great? Already, HAIs are becoming increasingly common every year and sometimes result in patient deaths. The unfortunate reality is many times, resistant infections are acquired inside the hospital during treatment via cross-contamination. While many hospitals have taken action by implementing rigorous bedside cleaning standards, methods like sanitizing wipes and chemical sprays have proven to be ineffective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.