Critical Updates PDF Selected news items and updates for the practicing clinician Zachary Mulkeya Correspondence to Zachary Mulkey MD Email: zachary.mulkey @ttuhsc.edu + Author Affiliation - Author Affiliation a Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, TX SWRCCC : 2014;2.(5):55 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... The New England Journal of Medicine has issued a correction to its publication of the REDUCE MRSA trial results which demonstrated fewer bloodstream infections after initiation of decolonization with chlorhexidine baths and nasal mupirocin. The study originally reported a NNT of 54 which was revised to 99 in the correction. Vancomycin plus piperacillin-tazobactam has been associated with acute kidney injury again in a small study reported in abstract form recently during the ASPH 2013 meeting. This is consistent with other reports from 2012. Also a surprising finding from the same meeting in abstract form…at one 240-bed hospital in only 15% of patients treated with vancomycin or TMP/SMX for C. diff infection actually had lab confirmed disease. These results represent only a single institutions finding and full results should be published before any other conclusions are made. The ACP has published guidelines for the treatment of anemia in patients with heart disease. In general, a more restrictive approach is favored in both medical and surgical patients. Recommendations come from relatively low quality scientific evidence. Up to 10% of high school students have tried e-cigarettes according to a CDC report. They are already regulated somewhat like conventional cigarettes in Europe and there are expectations for the FDA to do the same in the US.