Journal profile · PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
GMS Hygiene and Infection Control
ISSN 2196-5226 · German Medical Science GMS Publishing House · Germany
GMS Hygiene and Infection Control: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3 (journal website); diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 10 weeks (community reports); 76 articles a year; indexed in ESCI.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
GMS Hygiene and Infection Control is published by German Medical Science GMS Publishing House and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Nosocomial Infections in ICU, Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria and Antibiotic Use and Resistance, together about 29.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Infection prevention and control is involved in the complete spectrum of medical treatment, diagnostics, and preventive aspects as well as patient and healthcare-worker (HCW) safety. Specifically, healthcare associated infections (HAI) are a global challenge for the 21st century. The journal GMS Hygiene and Infection Control (GMS HIC) is designed to foster both understanding and practice in the field of infection control with the focus on the prevention of HAI and related aspects of hospital hygiene. Hence, not only scientific articles on the prevention of HAI, including improvement of defense by vaccination and good nutrition, are of interest, but also new findings on the design of life-promoting environments in healthcare facilities to guarantee surroundings conducive to health. Of special interest are articles on the efficacy of antimicrobial agents and measures (sterilization, disinfection, antisepsis, cleaning), infection prevention by probiotics, reprocessing of medical devices, antibiotic and antiseptic stewardship, etiology, risk factors, epidemiology and surveillance of HAI, and quality management of hospital hygiene. Until 2012 the journal was published under its German name “GMS Zeitschrift für Krankenhaushygiene”. By changing its name to GMS HIC, we wish to underline our international mission. An important goal of hospital hygiene is the promotion of patient safety with the focus both on infection prevention and ensuring a healthy indoor environment in terms of chemical exposition. The latter includes residues of surface disinfectants, high-volatility organic compounds, surgical smoke, and hazards from molds. Furthermore, a healthy indoor environment avoids potentially detrimental physical exposures, for instance, to noise, climatic influences, and a lack of biodynamic lighting, while also promoting a safe drinking water supply and wastewater disposal even in catastrophic situations such as natural disasters and war. An additional target is the maintenance of mental health, by minimizing stress for patients and HCWs, and nurturing well-being through a hygienic environment. Another important focus is the question of how hospital hygiene can contribute to sustainable development through the careful, well-thought-out use of resources. Considering the realization of infection control strategies, finding a balance in the conflict between individual freedom vs necessary social distancing and limiting infection-prevention resources to the extent neces
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Nosocomial Infections in ICUMedicine11.8%
- Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.8%
- Antibiotic Use and ResistanceImmunology and Microbiology8.8%
- Neonatal and Maternal InfectionsMedicine5.9%
- Medical Device Sterilization and DisinfectionImmunology and Microbiology5.9%
- COVID-19 and Mental HealthPsychology2.9%
- Oral microbiology and periodontitis researchDentistry2.9%
- COVID-19 epidemiological studiesMathematics2.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePMCPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 0OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 0OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 76LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 12 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 10 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 22 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — | |
| Publisher website | No APC | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted18
- announcementsAnnouncements about awards, scientific prizes, personalities, consensus papers and other official statements should be submitted by the respective expert associ…Length not stated
- case reportResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- case reportsCase reports represent a case relevant for the scientific interest. They are to be subdivided into: Abstract, introduction, case description, discussion, conclu…Length not stated
- commentaryResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- editorialResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- letter to the editorLetter to the editor regarding the Paper “S2k-Guideline hand antisepsis and hand hygiene”Length not stated
- letters to the editorResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- position paperPosition Paper Equipping medical hand-washing stations with cold drinking-quality water – a contribution to sustainabilityLength not stated
- rapid publications/short communicationsRapid publications/short communications and letters to the editor contain comments or announcements and communications with news character and are principally w…Length not stated
- rapid responsesIn comparison, rapid responses are commentaries that cannot be cited, are limited in length and linked directly to an article to make discussions possible. The …Length not stated
- recommendationRecommendation Medical device availability under system degradation: a dependency-based framework for adaptive responses and risk-informed decision-makingLength not stated
- research articleResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- responseResponse to “Letter to the editor regarding the Paper ‘S2k-Guideline hand antisepsis and hand hygiene’”Length not stated
- reviewResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- review articleResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles are to show the state of research in detail, summarize and clarify open research questions. Review articles should include abstract and introduc…Length not stated
- short communicationResearch articles deal with current problems, with adequate empirical or experimental methodology. It should be evident from the papers that they make a substan…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use
Generative AI disclosure. Model summary
Any use of generative AI in the preparation of manuscripts that goes beyond its use for spell-checking and grammar checking, or as a formatting or citation tool, must be disclosed in the Methods section or in the form of a note.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship 2.1 Authorship and Copyright
No prior publication or submission. Model summary
All authors insure that they have furnished a substantial contribution to the article and that they are in agreement with form and contents of the manuscript. The author conducting the negotiations confirms in the Author’s Contract that he holds the rights on his works as well as on the text and illustrations attached therein. If material (e.g. illustrations or tables) is used from other sources, …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest
Conflict of interest disclosure. Model summary
Financial or other support of institutes or companies, as well as promotion funds, is to be stated in the acknowledgments or conflict of interests section.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Research data submission expected. Model summary
We expect our authors to submit relevant underlying data in addition to the manuscripts for peer review and publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Patient privacy and consent. Model summary
When using records of patients it must be guaranteed that the person is not identifiable on the basis of the portrayal. Otherwise, the author must seek explicit consent from the person concerned (or their representative) that he agrees to the publication in the present form.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright 2.1 Authorship and Copyright
Language Model summary
All authors insure that they have furnished a substantial contribution to the article and that they are in agreement with form and contents of the manuscript. The author conducting the negotiations confirms in the Author’s Contract that he holds the rights on his works as well as on the text and illustrations attached therein. If material (e.g. illustrations or tables) is used from other sources, …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access ZB MED advocates Open Access
No APCs or submission charges. Model summary
ZB MED promotes and supports open access to scientific research through the PUBLISSO portal and other services.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Peer review process. Model summary
The Journal guarantees a quality assurance process with extensive and stringent peer reviews. All submitted manuscripts are subject to an extensive and quick peer review process.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- German Medical Science GMS Publishing House
- Country or region
- Germany
- Language
- English, German
- ISSN
- 2196-5226
- Official links
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about GMS Hygiene and Infection Control
What CAS zone is GMS Hygiene and Infection Control in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, GMS Hygiene and Infection Control is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Public, Environmental & Occupational Health. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of GMS Hygiene and Infection Control?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 3; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; h-index 0.
How long does peer review take at GMS Hygiene and Infection Control?
Authors report an average review time of about 10 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of GMS Hygiene and Infection Control?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Vancouver; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index GMS Hygiene and Infection Control?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, GMS Hygiene and Infection Control is indexed in ESCI and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science and PMC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is GMS Hygiene and Infection Control open access, and what is the APC?
GMS Hygiene and Infection Control is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .