Safely Disconnect From the Dialysis Machine in an Emergency Situation

May 3, 2026 updated by: Nurten Ozen, Istanbul University

Do Hemodialysis Patients Know How to Safely Disconnect Themselves From the Dialysis Machine in an Emergency Situation?: An International, Multicenter Study

In a dialysis unit, it is not possible for healthcare personnel to disconnect all patients from the machines simultaneously in the event of an emergency. Therefore, allowing patients who are able to safely disconnect themselves from the machine to do so, while healthcare staff assist those who are unable, will help minimize harm during such situations. For this reason, "clamp and cut/cap" training should be provided to all patients, and a note indicating whether the patient is able to disconnect themselves from the machine in an emergency should be included in their medical records. Importantly, this training should not be limited to theoretical instruction but should also include hands-on practice and simulation-based training to reinforce learning and transform knowledge into practical skills.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In the literature, only one known study was identified that investigated the level of knowledge of dialysis patients regarding how to disconnect themselves from the machine during a natural disaster. That study reported that only a small proportion of patients knew how to terminate dialysis treatment in an emergency situation. However, the assessment in that study was limited to patients' knowledge level, and the procedural steps of the disconnection process were not evaluated.

Moreover, studies conducted in different countries indicate that dialysis patients have deficiencies in disaster preparedness and emergency procedures, highlighting the need for structured educational programs in this area. To the best of our knowledge, this study will be the first to evaluate both the knowledge level and the procedural steps related to self-disconnection in dialysis patients.

The aim of this study is to assess hemodialysis patients' knowledge regarding how to disconnect themselves from the machine in an emergency situation, as well as the accuracy of the procedural steps involved.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

620

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

This study was conducted in a total of eight dialysis centers: three in Türkiye, two in Portugal, and one each in the Poland, and Greece

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients aged 18 years and older who had been receiving hemodialysis treatment for at least three months
  • Had no conditions that would impair communication
  • Voluntarily agreed to participate were included in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who declined to provide voluntary consent were excluded from the study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Adequate information about withdrawal from the machine
Time Frame: At the begining of the study
Data were collected using a checklist that assessed whether patients knew how to disconnect themselves from the dialysis machine in emergency situations.
At the begining of the study

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Nurten Ozen, Assoc.Prof., Istanbul University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

November 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

February 25, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 3, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025-16 (Eskisehir Osmangazi University Scientific Research Projects Unit)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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