Heat pack before dialysis needle may ease pain, study tests best timing
NCT ID NCT07662564
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This trial investigates whether applying a heated pack to the arm for 5 or 10 minutes before inserting a dialysis needle can reduce pain in people with an arteriovenous fistula. About 51 adults on hemodialysis will be randomly assigned to receive heat for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or a placebo. Pain levels will be measured after each session to find the optimal duration.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- heated hot pack
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, drug-free way to reduce pain during routine dialysis needle insertion.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 51 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effect may be small or no better than a placebo.
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
-
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
-
51 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Apr 2026
- Finished
-
Jun 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.
- Ages
-
18 to 80 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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 aged 18 years and older * Patients who received hemodialysis (HD) treatment with an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for at least 3 months * Patients receiving HD treatment 3 days a week for 4 hours each session * Patients with a pain score of ⩾1 during AVF cannulation, measured by a visual analog scale (VAS) * Patients able to communicate in Turkish * Patients without psychiatric disorders that impair communication * Patients who agreed to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who were known to present difficulties with fistula cannulation (requiring multiple cannulations) * Patients with a history of hematoma or stenosis in the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) * Patients with an infection at the fistula site * Patients who took painkillers within 3 hours prior to treatment * Hypersensitivity reactions and circulatory disorders due to thermotherapy * Sensory or cognitive impairment preventing a proper assessment of pain * Patients who did not wish to participate in the study
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Dialysis are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Nurten Özen
Fatih, İ̇stanbul, 34116, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Five simple signs could help nurses score surgical pain in turkish
- Can green light glasses take the sting out of surgery?
- Can a Hands-On nerve technique ease Fibromyalgia's grip?
- Fixing broken ribs with surgery may cut pain better than drugs alone
- Could a Patient's playlist take the sting out of nerve testing?
- Scientists probe the mental steps behind rating your pain