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Open research questions in Infection Control in Healthcare

273 gap statements mined from Infection Control in Healthcare papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,814 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The study highlights the need for periodic government inspections of market products to safeguard consumer safety and health.

    Presence and Dermal Exposure to Benzene and Acetaldehyde in Hand Sanitizers Available in Taiwan · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited studies on the effectiveness of the WHO multimodal hand hygiene strategy in improving hand hygiene compliance. Need for sustained efforts and complementary interventions to achieve the desired hand hygiene compliance. Gap in knowledge on the specific challenges and barriers to implementing the WHO multimodal strategy in resource-limited settings.

    From Knowledge to Practice: The Effect of Multimodal Strategies on Hand Hygiene Improvement in Tunisia · 2025 · DOI

  • The lack of evaluation of the stability and bactericidal efficacy of chlorine solutions used for disinfecting hospital environments in Benin. The need to identify factors contributing to inefficiency of chlorine solutions. The gap in knowledge on the quality of chlorinated solutions used for biocleaning in healthcare departments.

    Stability and Efficacy of Chlorinated Disinfectants in Beninese Hospitals: Issues for the Prevention and Control of Infections and Antibiotic Resistance · 2025 · DOI

  • The study identified challenges in addressing IP&C needs, including the need for additional space, equipment, supplies, education, training, and staff. Family support and cultural incompatibility were common challenges to providing Kangaroo Mother Care. Maternal and newborn medical conditions were also significant challenges to providing Kangaroo Mother Care.

    Infection prevention and control and related practices in African neonatal units: The Pan-African neonatal care assessment study (PANCAS) · 2024 · DOI

  • This viable but non-culturable state of bacteria in DSBs needs to be studied in depth and considered in infection prevention strategies.

    From one biofilm to another: when bacteria from dry-surface biofilms settle in invasive medical devices · 2026 · DOI

  • There is no consensus regarding whether the aim is to protect other patients and healthcare workers, whether aseptic technique is possible in all settings, and the appropriateness of personal protective equipment.

    Is there consensus for the aims of aseptic technique undertaken by nurses outside operating theatres? Delphi survey with follow-up study day · 2026 · DOI

  • Hand drying following surgical scrubbing is a critical step in reducing bacterial transmission, yet the optimal method remains uncertain.

    Surgical handwashing: drying with one or two surgical towels – a randomized clinical trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Prior research has demonstrated associations between increased patient-to-nurse ratios and HCAIs; however, evidence is limited and unlikely to be generalizable to England.

    Is health human resource strain associated with the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in England? Analysis of a national point prevalence survey · 2026 · DOI

  • The association between absenteeism and reduced HCAIs, which is new to our knowledge, warrants further study.

    Is health human resource strain associated with the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in England? Analysis of a national point prevalence survey · 2026 · DOI

  • Little is known about how carriers appraise these experiences in light of what matters to them - i.

    Am I receiving good care? A qualitative study exploring the moral experiences of MDRO carriers in Dutch hospitals and nursing homes · 2026 · DOI

  • Training and adherence of frontline staff (70%), unavailability of private rooms (41%), and lack of evidence-based strategies to eradicate reservoirs (34%) were the top 3 identified barriers to MDRO infection control and prevention.

    Current infection control practices for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO): a survey of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) research network and affiliated US-based hospitals · 2026 · DOI

  • Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a major challenge, yet the role of hospital-wide active surveillance cultures (ASC) outside outbreak settings remains debated.

    Active surveillance cultures and cohorting for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an endemic setting: an interrupted time-series analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Fungal contamination of healthcare environments is increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to healthcare-associated infections, yet standardized environmental surveillance strategies remain poorly defined.

    Comparing rapid molecular and culture methods for detecting fungal contamination in healthcare environments · 2026 · DOI

  • Molecular approaches such as quantitative PCR (qPCR) may improve detection but have not been extensively evaluated in real-world hospital environments.

    Comparing rapid molecular and culture methods for detecting fungal contamination in healthcare environments · 2026 · DOI

  • Laboratory biosafety protects healthcare workers, patients and the environment, yet evidence from fragile and resource-limited settings remains scarce.

    Knowledge and self-reported practice of laboratory biosafety among medical laboratory professionals in selected public and private hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • Nurses play an integral role in the implementation of IPAC procedures and the provision of ongoing primary care during a health crisis; however there is limited literature related to nurses’ roles in the enactment of IPAC procedures in primary care settings.

    The Implementation of Infection Prevention and Control Procedures in Primary Care During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Nursing Roles · 2025 · DOI

  • Studies reported variability in standards, cleaning durations, and resource allocation, with limited data on full-time equivalents.

    Tools and strategies for monitoring hospital environmental hygiene services · 2025 · DOI

  • Various tools, including fluorescent markers, ATP assays, microbiological methods, and direct observation, are used for monitoring, but their comparative effectiveness remains unclear.

    Tools and strategies for monitoring hospital environmental hygiene services · 2025 · DOI

  • A pilot point prevalence survey (PPS) of HAIs and antimicrobial use (AMU) was undertaken in Ukrainian hospitals in 2021, but the data are limited and do not represent changes in the burden of HAIs associated with the invasion of the Russian Federation in 2022.

    Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in Ukrainian acute care hospitals involved in treatment of casualties of war: multi-centre cross-sectional study in 2024 · 2025 · DOI

  • The true burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Ukraine remains unknown.

    Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in Ukrainian acute care hospitals involved in treatment of casualties of war: multi-centre cross-sectional study in 2024 · 2025 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Environmental surfaces that interface with hand hygiene may serve as under-recognized sites of microbial contamination.

    Bacterial contamination of paper-towel dispensers in healthcare settings: a cross-sectional environmental surveillance study · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the long-term effects of inadequate disinfection, - Studying the development of adaptive mechanisms that result in cross-resistance to antibiotics, - Evaluating the effectiveness of different disinfection…

    Stability and Efficacy of Chlorinated Disinfectants in Beninese Hospitals: Issues for the Prevention and Control of Infections and Antibiotic Resistance · 2025 · DOI

  • Nurses in both countries experienced similar barriers to adherence, including challenges in adapting to changing guidance, gaps in knowledge, skills and training, psychosocial stressors, and organisational changes.

    Nurses' experiences in adhering to infection prevention and control guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative comparative study between Nepal and Scotland · 2026 · DOI

  • HCWs in Yemeni public hospitals demonstrated moderate preventive practices but insufficient knowledge, predominantly negative perceptions, and substantial institutional preparedness gaps.

    COVID-19 infection prevention and control preparedness among healthcare workers in public hospitals in Yemen: a comprehensive assessment of knowledge, practices, perceptions, and institutional readiness · 2026 · DOI

  • Sink design varied widely; it was deemed 'optimal' for 65/122 (53%) sinks in patient bays/side-rooms and 'optimal' design was associated with side-room location…

    Survey of healthcare-associated sink infrastructure, and sink trap antibiotic residues and biochemistry, in twenty-nine UK hospitals · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Infection Control in Healthcare

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is no consensus regarding whether the aim is to protect other patients and healthcare workers, whether aseptic technique is possible in all settings, and the appropriateness of personal protective equipment (“Is there consensus for the aims of aseptic technique undertaken by nurses…”, 2026); (2) Little is known about how carriers appraise these experiences in light of what matters to them - i (“Am I receiving good care? A qualitative study exploring the moral experiences…”, 2026); (3) Training and adherence of frontline staff (70%), unavailability of private rooms (41%), and lack of evidence-based strategies to eradicate reservoirs (34%) were the top 3 identified barriers to MDRO infection control and prevention (“Current infection control practices for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO): a…”, 2026); (4) Laboratory biosafety protects healthcare workers, patients and the environment, yet evidence from fragile and resource-limited settings remains scarce (“Knowledge and self-reported practice of laboratory biosafety among medical…”, 2026); (5) The lack of evaluation of the stability and bactericidal efficacy of chlorine solutions used for disinfecting hospital environments in Benin (“Stability and Efficacy of Chlorinated Disinfectants in Beninese Hospitals:…”, 2025). 273 gap statements have been mined from Infection Control in Healthcare papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,814 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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