Journal profile · Critical Care Medicine
Intensive Care Medicine
ISSN 0342-4642 · eISSN 1432-1238 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1975
Intensive Care Medicine: CAS Zone 1 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 21.85; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,190; median 56 days to acceptance (72 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 500 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Intensive Care Medicine is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 1 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Respiratory Support and Mechanisms, Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment and Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders, together about 37.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The journal Intensive Care Medicine provides a medium for the communication and exchange of current work and ideas in this field. It is intended for all involved in intensive medical care, physicians, anaesthetists, surgeons. It publishes - Review articles reflecting the present state of knowledge in special areas or summarizing themes in which discussion has led to clearly defined conclusions - Original papers reporting progress and results in all areas of intensive care medicine and its related fields - Educational articles giving information on the progress of a topic of particular interest - Discussion on technology, methods, new apparatus and modifications of standard techniques - Correspondence concerning matters of topical interest or relating to published material - Reports of meetings The journal is open for publication of supplements. Conditions can be obtained from the Editor-in-Chief or the publisher.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Critical Care Medicine
Editor-in-chief Samir JaberPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 4%); most named France 8, United States 4, Italy 3, Spain 3, Canada 3 (27 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Respiratory Support and MechanismsMedicine15.1%
- Sepsis Diagnosis and TreatmentMedicine13.9%
- Intensive Care Unit Cognitive DisordersMedicine8.1%
- Hemodynamic Monitoring and TherapyMedicine6.8%
- Cardiac Arrest and ResuscitationMedicine6.4%
- Nosocomial Infections in ICUMedicine6.4%
- Mechanical Circulatory Support DevicesEngineering3.6%
- Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical OutcomesMedicine3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Critical Care Medicine | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Critical Care Medicine | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Critical Care Medicine | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 21.85LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 22Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 26.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 22.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 4.07LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 4.64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 176LetPub ·
- h-index
- 316OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,623OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.03OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 41.99%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 134LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 6,800,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 15,884 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 341 | 189 | 416 |
| 2025 | 500 | 259 | 2,916 |
| 2024 | 454 | 259 | 5,766 |
| 2023 | 341 | 227 | 7,135 |
| 2022 | 340 | 239 | 9,083 |
| 2021 | 292 | 226 | 18,301 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
56 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 33 days – 86 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (88 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 82 days
- Sample
- 72 articles with submission and acceptance dates (946 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 1 monthLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 5,190 / EUR 4,090 / GBP 3,490 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
- Obesity in the ICUDeadline
- Innovation in the ICUDeadline
- ARDS 60th AnniversaryDeadline
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted12, with length limits
- correspondenceThe correspondence section provides an opportunity to debate published articles in Intensive Care Medicine. Editors will only accept relevant submissions adding…main text ≤ 500 words · figures and tables ≤ 1 · references ≤ 5
- editorialAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…main text ≤ 1,000 words · references ≤ 15
- editorialsEditorials are exclusively commissioned by the Editors and offer a commentary on one or more articles in the same issue of the Journal. Editorials must not exce…Length not stated
- guidelinesGuideline articles provide systematically developed, evidence-based recommendations intended to support clinical decision-making and improve patient care. Submi…Length not stated
- letterAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…Length not stated
- meta-analysisAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…Length not stated
- original paperAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…main text ≤ 3,000 words · figures and tables ≤ 5 · references ≤ 30
- original papersOriginal papers must not exceed 3,000 words and should include no more than 5 illustrations (i.e.: 3 figures or 2 tables) in the main manuscript. A 250-word str…Length not stated
- protocolAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…Length not stated
- reviewAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…Length not stated
- review articleAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…main text ≤ 4,000 words
- systematic reviewAll papers providing pre-clinical data (experimental, animal, in-vitro, bench studies or studies without patients) should be submitted to ICM Experimental. Orig…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
ICMJE disclosure of interest form required for each author Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright transfer
Authors will be asked to transfer copyright of the article to the Publisher (or grant the Publisher exclusive publication and dissemination rights). This will ensure the widest possible protection and dissemination of information under copyright laws. Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree t…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Intensive Care Medicine, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses must comply with PRISMA and be registered in PROSPERO Model summary
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses must comply with the PRISMA Statement and must be registered beforehand in PROSPERO.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
Only pre-registered trials considered; protocol must be published before submission Model summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1975
- ISSN
- 0342-4642
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-1238
- Society / sponsor
- European Society of Intensive Care Medicine
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 52, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Intensive Care Medicine
What CAS zone is Intensive Care Medicine in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Intensive Care Medicine is in Zone 1 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Critical Care Medicine; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Intensive Care Medicine?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 21.85; CiteScore 22.2, h-index 316.
How long does peer review take at Intensive Care Medicine?
Based on the dates recorded on 72 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 56 days (interquartile range 33–86 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Intensive Care Medicine?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Intensive Care Medicine based?
Of the 27 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are France (8), United States (4) and Italy (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Intensive Care Medicine?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Intensive Care Medicine is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Intensive Care Medicine open access, and what is the APC?
Intensive Care Medicine is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .