RCTs in Infection Prevention and Control - Are we getting the evidence that we need?

In this episode of Infection Control Matters, Martin Kiernan talks to Brett Mitchell about a new review of RCTs in IPC over the past two decades. The review identified 239 trials, with a striking increase in recent years—but the research is concentrated in a relatively small number of areas. We also explore a much bigger issue: what happens to new evidence once it has been published? If guidelines remain unchanged while new RCTs accumulate, are we really translating research into practice?

We discuss what is driving this growth, where the important evidence gaps remain, and whether IPC guidelines are keeping pace with the emerging evidence. Could living guidelines be part of the answer?

Paper we discuss: Mitchell BG, Matterson G, Carroll MR, Donnelly H, Marimuthu K, Tehan PE. Global randomised controlled trials in infection prevention and control: a bibliographic review from the past two decades. J Hosp Infect 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2026.03.037. 

Direct download link: https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0195-6701%2826%2900129-5 

Another paper that we mention on the effect of delays in implementation: Reagan KA, Chan DM, Vanhoozer G, Pryor RJ, Doll ME, Godbout EJ, et al. Resistors and constipators: Financial impact in an academic medical center, a mathematical model. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2022;43(4):533–5. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2021.34.