patient on the hands of health care workers. and here s the scary part. these alter other bacteria so they fight off drugs, as well. these can cause life-threatening infections. patients with infeks of the blood, nearly half can die. so hospitals pull out the stops. at montefiore, isolation rooms stand at the ready. and dedicated equipment from stethoscopes to blood pressure cuffs are just for c.r.e. patients. some use video cameras to police hand washing. here, they even posted medical students as spotters to make sure everyone is washing their hands. that s where the hand washing spies can be helpful? i call them observers. reporter: with these superbugs, it s a matter of life and death. if you want to make sure you don t get this infection, next time you re in the hospital, before anyone touches you, ask them to wash their hands. and ask them to wash them again before they leave the room. it s not easy to do, but it s so important. dr. richard besser, abc news,