Many Mrsa patients could be treated at home, experts said today.
A new report claims the NHS could save millions of pounds ifpeople infected with the bug were treated away from hospital.
Scientists said those with MRSA were unlikely to spread the bugto healthy people and could take antibiotics at home.
But one leading expert in the field warned the plan may not besafe for everyone.
The study, produced by seven experts and the campaign group,National Concern for Healthcare Infections, said many patients couldbe treated at home.
Contrary to common fears, treating people in the community isunlikely to spread MRSA infection as it generally only infectsthrough open wounds or IV lines, it said.
"In many cases, it is thought that if appropriate treatment wasavailable, it would be possible for the MRSA infection to be treatedoutside hospital," it stated.
"People with MRSA infection are not a danger to healthy people."
The report said studies have suggested that up to a third ofthose with MRSA could be discharged with an oral antibiotic.
Mark Wilcox, professor of medical microbiology at the Universityof Leeds, said: "Treating people with MRSA at home offers multiplebenefits in terms of infection control, and reducing NHS costs andresource use. Many patients would also prefer to be discharged fromhospital to be with their families while they finish theirtreatment, and they should be given that option, where possible."
The report was funded by Pfizer, which produces an antibiotic totreat MRSA, both in IV and tablet form.
But Mark Enright, professor of molecular epidemiology at ImperialCollege, London, said: "If you have got MRSA and it's in yourbloodstream then you would have to stay in hospital for a couple ofweeks to be on IV.
"If you are sending someone home with MRSA they could declinequite quickly.
"It's a clinical judgment if you are going to send them home.
"You don't want them to go home and then die on you," he said.
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