Using targeted gloves and gowns to prevent MRSA spread in hospitals
Official title: Targeted Contact Precaution Use to Prevent MRSA Transmission
Funded at Baltimore VA Medical Center · NIH-11282603 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether using gloves and gowns only for certain patients and encounters can reduce MRSA spread among hospital patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baltimore VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003368-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11282603 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients admitted to participating VA hospitals, especially those known or suspected to carry MRSA or who are at higher risk of acquiring it.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not hospitalized or who receive care outside the participating VA sites are unlikely to benefit directly from joining this project.
What this research studies
If you are a patient in a participating VA hospital, researchers will compare when healthcare workers wear gowns and gloves versus usual practice to see how that affects MRSA transmission. The work is being done at multiple VA medical centers, led from the Baltimore VA, and uses real patient admissions and care encounters. Teams will track MRSA colonization and infections over time and link those outcomes to specific types of contact precautions used. The goal is to tailor precautions to the right people and situations to protect patients while avoiding unnecessary gowning and gloving.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower MRSA infections and make hospital stays safer while reducing unnecessary use of gowns and gloves.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies on contact precautions have had mixed results, and this targeted, precision approach is a newer strategy that aims to clarify when precautions are most needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Baltimore VA Medical Center
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harris, Anthony D — Baltimore VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Harris, Anthony D
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.