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Critical Care

Critical Care is a high-quality, peer-reviewed, international clinical medical journal that aims to improve the care of critically ill patients by acquiring, discussing, distributing, and promoting evidence-based information relevant to intensivists. The journal seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the intensive care field to support evidence-based practice and improve patient outcomes.

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Subject Critical Care Medicine
Impact Factor 9.3
Quartile Q1
Open Access Type Open
ISSN 1364-8535
eISSN 1466-609X
Invitation Only No
Cost Range APC: £2,990 / $4,190 / €3,490 (plus applicable taxes)

Submission Instructions

Critical Care accepts the following article types. Click on an article type to view submission instructions.

Research

Title Page Include a title that specifies the study design when appropriate, list all authors’ full names and institutional addresses, and identify the corresponding author. If a collaboration group is an author, list the group name; individual member names can be placed in the Acknowledgements for indexing. LLMs cannot be listed as authors; any use should be described in Methods.
Abstract Provide a structured abstract of up to 350 words with the sections: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. If reporting a human healthcare intervention, include Trial registration details and note if registration was retrospective; avoid references and minimize abbreviations.
Main Manuscript Headings Organize the manuscript with: Title page, Abstract, Keywords (3–10), Background, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, List of abbreviations, and Declarations.
Reference Format Use Vancouver style. Cite web links/URLs with reference numbers including site title, full URL, and access date; include dataset citations with persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) as full URLs.
Additional Documents Include a Declarations section covering Ethics approval and consent to participate; Consent for publication; Availability of data and materials; Competing interests; Funding; Authors’ contributions; Acknowledgements; and Authors’ information (optional). Provide a mandatory data availability statement and trial registration information where applicable. A graphical abstract image is strongly recommended.
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Review

Title Page Include a descriptive title (with study design where appropriate), full author names and institutional addresses, identification of the corresponding author, and collaboration group details if applicable. Large Language Models (LLMs) cannot be authors; any use must be documented in the Methods or another suitable section.
Abstract Provide an abstract of up to 350 words that covers background, main body, and conclusions. Do not include subheadings within the abstract, minimize abbreviations, and do not cite references.
Main Manuscript Headings Organize the manuscript with Background, Main text (with optional short, informative subheadings), Conclusions, and a List of abbreviations. A Declarations section with required subheadings must follow the main text.
Reference Format Format references in Vancouver style. Web links and URLs should appear as numbered references in the reference list with site title, full URL, and access date; cite datasets with DOIs as full URLs.
Additional Documents A Declarations section is required, covering Ethics approval and consent to participate, Consent for publication (for any identifiable data), Availability of data and materials (mandatory statement), Competing interests, Funding, Authors’ contributions, Acknowledgements, and optional Authors’ information. Consent forms should be retained and provided on request.
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Editorial

Title Page Include a descriptive title; list full names and institutional addresses for all authors; and identify the corresponding author. Collaboration group names may be listed as authors, with individual member names provided in the Acknowledgements for indexing.
Main Manuscript Headings The editorial’s main text should contain the body of the article and may be divided into short, informative subsections as appropriate.
Reference Format Use Vancouver style for citations and reference list entries. Web links and URLs should be cited by number and included in the reference list with full details and access dates.
Figures Figures are not permitted for editorials and should not be included or uploaded.
Tables Tables are not permitted for editorials and should not be included or uploaded.
Additional Documents All submissions must include a Declarations section covering ethics approval (if applicable), consent for publication (when individual data are included), data availability statement, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, and acknowledgements.
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Perspective

Title Page Include a descriptive title (with study design where appropriate), full author names and institutional addresses, and identify the corresponding author. For collaboration groups, follow the group author naming guidance; LLMs cannot be authors and any use must be documented in the manuscript.
Abstract Provide a structured abstract of up to 350 words with Background, main body, and Conclusion. Avoid abbreviations and do not include references.
Main Manuscript Headings Organize the manuscript with Background, Main text (with optional subsections), and Conclusions. Include a separate List of abbreviations.
Reference Format Use Vancouver style. Cite web links as numbered references with full site title, URL, and access date; include dataset DOIs as full URLs.
Additional Documents Include a Declarations section covering: Ethics approval and consent to participate; Consent for publication; Availability of data and materials; Competing interests; Funding; Authors’ contributions; Acknowledgements; and optional Authors’ information. Be prepared to provide consent documentation upon request and include a data availability statement.
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Brief Report

Title Page Include a title that states the study design where appropriate, list all authors with full names and institutional addresses, and identify the corresponding author. Collaboration groups may be named as authors, with individual member names provided in the Acknowledgements for indexing; any LLM use should be disclosed in the Methods rather than listed as an author.
Abstract Provide an abstract of no more than 250 words that briefly states the aim and key findings or purpose. Avoid abbreviations and do not include citations.
Main Manuscript Headings Authors may structure the manuscript flexibly and use short, informative subheadings as needed to improve readability. A clear and logical organization of the main text is expected.
Reference Format Use Vancouver reference style. Assign numbers to all references, provide web links as numbered references with full title, URL, and access date, and express DOIs as full URLs where used.
Additional Documents Include a Declarations section with Ethics approval and consent to participate, Consent for publication, Availability of data and materials, Competing interests, Funding, Authors’ contributions, Acknowledgements, and (optionally) Authors’ information. Provide consent for publication for any identifiable individual data and include an ethics statement for human/animal studies; include a data availability statement specifying access conditions or repository links.
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Debate

Title Page Include a title that states the study design where appropriate, list full names and institutional addresses for all authors, and identify the corresponding author. Any use of large language models must be documented in the manuscript; LLMs cannot be listed as authors.
Abstract Provide an unstructured abstract of up to 100 words. Do not include headings; minimize abbreviations and do not cite references.
Main Manuscript Headings Organize the main text with clear, informative subheadings appropriate to the argumentative format. Include a Conclusions section and a List of Abbreviations (if used), and a required Declarations section covering ethics, consent, data availability, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, and acknowledgements.
Reference Format Format citations in Vancouver style. Debates should include no more than 50 references; web links should be cited in the reference list with full URL and access date.
Figures Include at least one summary figure to illustrate the argument or findings; follow the journal’s general formatting guidelines for figures and any separate file uploads as applicable.
Additional Documents Include all required Declarations statements (ethics approval/consent as applicable, consent for publication where individual data are included, data availability statement, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, acknowledgements). Consent forms should be retained and may be requested. Supplementary materials may be provided.
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Correspondence

Title Page Include a separate title page with a descriptive article title, full names and institutional addresses for all authors, and the corresponding author’s contact details. If a collaboration group is listed as an author, list the group name as the author and individual members in the Acknowledgements for PubMed indexing. Document any LLM use in Methods or an appropriate section; LLMs cannot be listed as authors.
Abstract Abstracts and keywords are not required for Correspondence articles.
Main Manuscript Headings Provide the body text of the correspondence, optionally divided into short, informative subsections. A Declarations section with the required subheadings must be included at the end of the manuscript.
Reference Format References should follow Vancouver style. Web links and URLs must be cited as numbered references with full site title, complete URL, and the date accessed; dataset DOIs should be presented as full URLs.
Additional Documents Include all required Declarations: ethics approval/consent (as applicable), consent for publication for any individual data, data availability statement, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, acknowledgements, and (optional) authors’ information. Consent forms should be retained and provided upon request.
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Guidelines

Cover Letter A cover letter is required, explaining why the manuscript should be published in the journal, declaring any potential competing interests, confirming all authors’ approval and that the work is not published or under consideration elsewhere, and noting any special issue to which the article is being submitted.
Abstract An abstract of up to 350 words is required, should minimize abbreviations, and must not include references.
Manuscript Use double line spacing with continuous line and page numbering, submit as a single editable file (Word or LaTeX) including embedded figures and tables for peer review, and follow the journal’s general formatting rules; no overall word limit is specified for guidelines articles.
References Only published, in‑press, or publicly available preprints and datasets with persistent identifiers should be cited; no maximum reference count is indicated.
Figures & Tables Provide figure titles (max 15 words) and legends (max 300 words) and table titles (max 15 words) and legends (max 300 words) in the manuscript text, number figures and tables in the order cited, and avoid color or shading in tables.
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Matters Arising

Title Page Provide a descriptive title; list full author names with institutional addresses; indicate the corresponding author. If a collaboration group is an author, list the group name as an author and include individual member names in the Acknowledgements for indexing. LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT) cannot be authors; any use should be documented in Methods or a suitable section.
Abstract Abstracts and keywords are not required for Matters Arising submissions.
Main Manuscript Headings The main text should be concise (ideally ≤1,200 words) and may use short, informative subheadings. Include a mandatory Declarations section covering ethics, consent for publication, data availability, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, acknowledgements, and (optional) authors’ information.
Reference Format References should follow Vancouver style. Include the original article being commented on; Replies must cite both the original article and the Matters Arising. A maximum of 15 references is allowed.
Figures Follow the journal’s General formatting guidelines for figures; specific placement instructions are not detailed on this page.
Tables Follow the journal’s General formatting guidelines for tables; specific placement instructions are not detailed on this page.
Additional Documents Include all required Declarations (ethics approval/consent, consent for publication when identifiable data are present, data availability statement, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, acknowledgements, and optional authors’ information). Consent forms may be requested at any stage.
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Comment

Title Page Include a descriptive title; full names and institutional addresses for all authors; and identify the corresponding author. If a collaboration group is an author, list the group name as an author and place individual member names in the Acknowledgements for indexing. LLMs do not qualify for authorship; disclose any LLM use in Methods (or an appropriate alternative section).
Abstract Abstracts are not required for Comments.
Main Manuscript Headings Present the body of the article and, if helpful, divide it into short, informative subsections. No specific IMRaD structure is required for this format.
Reference Format Use Vancouver style for references. Cite web links/URLs in the reference list with the full site title, full URL, and access date; express dataset DOIs as full URLs.
Additional Documents Include a Declarations section covering Ethics approval and consent to participate, Consent for publication, Availability of data and materials, Competing interests, Funding, Authors' contributions, Acknowledgements, and (optional) Authors' information. Consent forms should not be submitted at the time of submission but may be requested; a data availability statement is mandatory.
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Consensus

Title Page Include a clear, descriptive title (state the study design when appropriate), full author names with institutional addresses, and the corresponding author’s contact details. Collaboration group authorship is permitted; list individual group members in the Acknowledgements to facilitate indexing. Note that LLMs cannot be authors; disclose any use in the Methods.
Abstract Provide an unstructured abstract not exceeding 250 words. Minimize abbreviations and do not include citations; briefly summarize the article’s aim, findings, or purpose.
Main Manuscript Headings Organize the main text into logical sections and, if helpful, use short, informative subheadings. A specific IMRaD structure is not mandated for this article type.
Reference Format Use Vancouver reference style. Include full URLs and access dates for websites, and cite datasets with persistent identifiers as full URLs following journal style.
Figures Follow the journal’s General formatting guidelines for figure placement and file preparation; specific placement instructions are not provided on this page.
Tables Follow the journal’s General formatting guidelines for table placement and file preparation; specific placement instructions are not provided on this page.
Additional Documents Your manuscript must include the required Declarations sections (ethics approval/consent, consent for publication when applicable, data availability, competing interests, funding, authors’ contributions, acknowledgements, and optional authors’ information). Do not submit consent forms at submission; they may be requested later.
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Recent Publications

Acute pulmonary embolism: clinical and echocardiographic recognition of normotensive shock

Oliver Hunsicker, Nils Daum, Glenn Hernandez, Eduardo Kattan, Matthias Göpfert, Michelle Chew, Michel Slama, Khodr Tello, Martin W. Dünser

10.1186/s13054-026-06214-3
View Publication

Geographic differences in outcomes after emergency surgery in nonagenarians and centenarians admitted to intensive care in Australia: a population-based study

Je Min Suh, Jacob Zand, Carl Reyneke, Nattaya Raykateeraroj, David Pilcher, Dong-Kyu Lee, Laurence Weinberg

10.1186/s13054-026-06215-2
View Publication

Sepsis-related immunosuppression: a comprehensive review of current research breakthroughs

Shuai Ren, Jun Wen

10.1186/s13054-026-06168-6
View Publication

Intraoperative hemoadsorption and cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis

Menghan Liu, Dan Lin, Ronghua Zhou

10.1186/s13054-026-06099-2
View Publication

ICU-specific virtual reality for mental health after critical illness: an international three-arm randomized clinical trial

Denzel L. Q. Drop, Johan H. Vlake, Jasper van Bommel, Evert-Jan Wils, Denise E. Hilling, Tim I. M. Korevaar, Fabio S. Taccone, Marianne Devroey, Ralph K. L. So, Corstiaan A. den Uil, Anna F. C. Schut, Adrienne M. T. J. Raben, Jan H. Elderman, Sefanja Achterberg, Barbara Festen, Annemieke Dijkstra, Margo M. C. van Mol, Christian Jung, Diederik Gommers, Michel E. van Genderen

10.1186/s13054-026-06186-4
View Publication

Frequently asked questions

Is Critical Care open access?

Yes, Critical Care is a fully open access journal. All articles are freely available to read, download, and share immediately upon publication.

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What is the impact factor of Critical Care?

The 2024 Journal Impact Factor (JIF) for Critical Care is 9.3. The impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year, and is often used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field.

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What is the time to publication for Critical Care?

The journal reports a median submission to first editorial decision time of 4 days and a median submission to acceptance time of 51 days.

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Does Critical Care require a cover letter?

Cover letters are mentioned in the context of expedited peer review; authors seeking rapid consideration after rejection elsewhere should note this in the cover letter and include the prior peer-review reports, the rejection letter, and a rebuttal. General cover letter requirements are not detailed.

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How much does it cost to publish in Critical Care?

This is a fully open access journal and charges an Article Processing Charge (APC) of £2,990 / $4,190 / €3,490, determined at acceptance and subject to VAT or local taxes. Springer Nature offers institutional open access agreements that may cover costs, and waivers/discounts are available for authors from the world’s lowest income countries, with discretionary waivers considered case-by-case at the point of submission.

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Research Topics

Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment Respiratory Support and Mechanisms Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation Hemodynamic Monitoring and Therapy

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