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When should dying cancer patients get IV fluids? taiwan doctors seek a shared answer

NCT ID NCT06329856

NEW Knowledge-focused Sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026

Summary

Giving fluids by IV or tube to terminal cancer patients who can no longer drink is a common but contested practice in palliative care. Researchers at National Taiwan University Hospital plan a nationwide survey of palliative and oncology specialists in Taiwan about when they use artificial hydration and why. A second phase uses a modified Delphi process, with interviews, questionnaires, and family discussions, to build a consensus guideline. The goal is a local reference that helps clinicians weigh medical, ethical, cultural, and emotional factors at the end of life.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
artificial hydration, fluids given by IV or tube when a patient cannot drink
What this could lead to
If the consensus guideline takes hold, doctors in Taiwan could have a shared reference for deciding when artificial hydration helps a dying cancer patient and when it adds burden.
What could go wrong
This study gathers opinions and builds a guideline rather than testing hydration in patients, so it cannot prove whether artificial hydration helps or harms. A consensus among specialists may not settle a deeply cultural and emotional question, and the guideline may not change bedside practice.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

391 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2024

Finished

Jul 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

From the name list of the Taiwan Academy of Hospice Palliative Medicine and Taiwan Society of Cancer Palliative Medicine

Ages

Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Taiwan Academy of Hospice Palliative Medicine * Taiwan Society of Cancer Palliative Medicine * At least a year in training to take care of terminally ill patients * Have signed informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * No clinical experience in palliative care * Decline to sign informed consent

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Hospice Palliative medicine Terminal cancer

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital

    Taipei, Taiwan, 100229, Taiwan

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