Pause-and-Flush: could a simple change prevent dialysis catheter blockages?
NCT ID NCT07567456
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a pulsatile flushing technique—giving saline in small bursts with short pauses—can reduce blockages in tunnelled central venous catheters used for haemodialysis. About 591 patients across 14 renal centres in Hong Kong will be assigned to one of two pause intervals (0.4 or 1 second) or standard flushing. The goal is to find the best way to maintain catheter function and improve patient outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- pulsatile flushing technique (a catheter care procedure using intermittent saline boluses with pauses)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could establish a better way to keep dialysis catheters clear, reducing blockages and improving treatment for kidney patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a non-randomized trial, so results may be less reliable. The technique is compared to standard flushing, and the best pause interval is unknown. It may not work better than current 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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 591 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Patients undergoing HD treatment with Tunnelled Central Venous Access Device (T-CVAD) in the above collaborators under the Hospital Authority * Able to understand spoken and written Chinese or English Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with Non-Tunnelled Central Venous Access Device (NT-CVAD) * Temporary dysfunction (e.g., kicking of the catheter) resolved with repositioning * Confirmed case of fibrin sheath occlusion which can only be resolved through surgical intervention * Non-thrombotic occlusion due to mechanical causes (e.g., catheter malposition) * Patient declined or incompetent to provide written informed consent.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Queen Elizabeth Hospital
RECRUITINGKowloon, Hong Kong
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