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Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess clinical safety and efficacy outcomes of renal denervation executed by an externally delivered, completely noninvasive focused therapeutic ultrasound device., Background: Renal denervation has emerged as a potential treatment approach for resistant hypertension., Methods: Sixty-nine subjects received renal denervation with externally delivered focused ultrasound via the Kona Medical Surround Sound System. This approach was investigated across 3 consecutive studies to optimize targeting, tracking, and dosing. In the third study, treatments were performed in a completely noninvasive way using duplex ultrasound image guidance to target the therapy. Short- and long-term safety and efficacy were evaluated through use of clinical assessments, magnetic resonance imaging scans prior to and 3 and 24 weeks after renal denervation, and, in cases in which a targeting catheter was used to facilitate targeting, fluoroscopic angiography with contrast., Results: All patients tolerated renal denervation using externally delivered focused ultrasound. Office blood pressure (BP) decreased by 24.6 ± 27.6/9.0 ± 15.0 mm Hg (from baseline BP of 180.0 ± 18.5/97.7 ± 13.7 mm Hg) in 69 patients after 6 months and 23.8 ± 24.1/10.3 ± 13.1 mm Hg in 64 patients with complete 1-year follow-up. The response rate (BP decrease >10 mm Hg) was 75% after 6 months and 77% after 1 year. The most common adverse event was post-treatment back pain, which was reported in 32 of 69 patients and resolved within 72 h in most cases. No intervention-related adverse events involving motor or sensory deficits were reported. Renal function was not altered, and vascular safety was established by magnetic resonance imaging (all patients), fluoroscopic angiography (n = 48), and optical coherence tomography (n = 5)., Conclusions: Using externally delivered focused ultrasound and noninvasive duplex ultrasound, image-guided targeting was associated with substantial BP reduction without any major safety signals. Further randomized, sham-controlled trials will be needed to validate this unique approach., (Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A central venous catheter coated with a new antiseptic combination, silver chloride (AgCl) and benzalkonium chloride (BKC) in a polymer matrix, was developed. The antimicrobial efficacy and the ability to prevent surface colonization, after elution in both serum and saline, were evaluated and compared to catheters coated with silver sulfadiazine/chlorhexidine. The results of in vitro assays demonstrated that the AgCl-BKC coated catheters had a broad spectrum of activity against bacteria and C. albicans and prolonged antimicrobial activity for extraction periods of up to 30 days. These data suggest that AgCl-BKC coated catheters may provide another solution for reduction of catheter-related infections.