Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Alcohol-based antiseptics are widely used in clinical settings for skin disinfection prior to procedures, with efficacy dependent on both concentration and adequate wet contact time. Despite recommendations to allow antiseptics to air dry naturally, practices such as fanning or blowing are commonly used to hasten drying. The impact of such practices on antiseptic efficacy and safety remains unclear.
Objectives: To systematically map the existing literature on the effects of accelerated drying, particularly through fanning, blowing, or forced evaporation, on the antimicrobial efficacy of alcohol-based antiseptics used for skin disinfection.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science) and grey literature sources were searched from inception to July 2025. Eligible studies examined alcohol-based antiseptics and assessed drying methods or contact time in relation to antimicrobial efficacy. Data were synthesized thematically.
Results: Eighteen publications met inclusion criteria, comprising experimental studies, clinical guidelines, technical protocols, and reviews. Four key themes emerged: (1) Sufficient wet contact time is essential for antimicrobial efficacy; (2) Fanning or accelerated evaporation reduces microbial kill rates, particularly for Staphylococcus aureus; (3) Surgical and clinical guidelines emphasize complete natural drying due to infection and fire risk; and (4) There is a lack of clinical trials evaluating infection outcomes or real-world adherence to drying recommendations.
Conclusion: Accelerating the drying of alcohol-based antiseptics can compromise antimicrobial efficacy by shortening contact time and has no support in current guidelines. Despite its widespread use, fanning remains unvalidated and potentially harmful. There is a need for clinical research on the impact of drying practices and adherence to protocols in real-world settings.

Abstract Background: Infection prevention, control, and health workers’ safety in the face of biological agents are among the vital issues in healthcare systems worldwide. Considering the high prevalence of COVID-19 infection and its high mortality rate, this epidemic can be tackled to some extent through infection control in the general population and promoting the safety of health centers.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to scrutinize the literature regarding measures adopted for infection control and safety of healthcare workers in health centers during the beginning of COVID-19.
Methods: A systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines was performed. Keywords related to the study namely, “prevention and control”, “safety”, “coronavirus”, “COVID-19”, and “health personnel” in PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus databases, and Google Scholar using AND/OR functions from February 2020 to July 2020 were searched. To select the documents, the titles of the retrieved studies were first evaluated for relevance; then, the abstracts and full texts of the papers with relevant titles were inspected.
Results: Out of 136 retrieved studies, 10 were relevant and their data were analyzed. Four articles highlighted the importance of prevention, three enunciated the importance of control, and three related to care providers’ safety. The results showed that the COVID-19 epidemic has affected the healthcare providers’ health; however, it is possible to prevent a catastrophe through strategic planning, prevention, and control measures.
Conclusion: Considering the importance of healthcare workers’ health, it is necessary to implement COVID-19 prevention and control management principles based on scientific evidence.

Abstract Background: One way to improve hospital food provision is certainly by understanding the management of hospital foodservices, but there is limited detailed information about staff roles in food provision in many hospitals around the world.
Objective: The hospital meal experience of patients, a part of the services provided by hospitals, is becoming important. Therefore, the role of various hospital staff members was studied through their behavior, attitudes, and practices so as to understand how the foodservice system works to address patients’ food consumption.
Methods: This qualitative research used the convenient sampling method. Data was collected by interviewing twenty hospital employees with different job scopes (nurses, doctors, dietitians, foodservice managers, and directors of hospital foodservices) in 6 public hospitals.
Results: Themes such as providing familiar food, food as the motivational factor for consumption, empathy shown by staff, and influences of the eating environment were identified using content analysis.
Conclusion: The viewpoints and experiences of key stakeholders facilitated the understanding of various factors involved in the provision of hospital food which affect patients’ decisions to accept and consume food.