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Subfield · Medicine

Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research

Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine is a subfield of Medicine. Science Explorer counts 146k research works in it since 1950. 17.1% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

In short: medical care subspecialty, treating critically ill.

Research works
146k
fractional, since 1950
In the world top 10%
25k
per year above
Top-10% rate
17.1%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Topics
5
Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
+39%
the tick is no change

This ranks research output and citation impact. It says nothing about the quality of diagnosis, treatment or care.

What is Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research about, and what is growing?

By the world's output in 2019–23, its most used keywords are Delirium, Intensive Care Unit, Critical Care, ICU, Ventilator-associated Pneumonia, Lung Ultrasound. Gaining share since 2009–13: Delirium, Intensive Care Unit, Lung Ultrasound, Point-of-Care Ultrasonography. Losing share: ICU, Ventilator-associated Pneumonia, Coagulopathy, Trauma.

▲ gaining share of this field◆ holding its share▼ losing share

Size is the world's fractional works in 2019–23 in the topics tagged with each word; colour compares the word's share of this field with 2009–13. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 11 words, with their numbers
  1. Delirium13k▲ 1.36×1 topic
  2. Intensive Care Unit13k▲ 1.36×1 topic
  3. Critical Care11k◆ 1.06×2 topics
  4. ICU7,160▼ 0.77×1 topic
  5. Ventilator-associated Pneumonia7,160▼ 0.77×1 topic
  6. Lung Ultrasound6,445▲ 1.29×1 topic
  7. Point-of-Care Ultrasonography6,445▲ 1.29×1 topic
  8. Coagulopathy6,340▼ 0.77×1 topic
  9. Trauma6,340▼ 0.77×1 topic
  10. Fever4,492▼ 0.84×1 topic
  11. Hypothermia4,492▼ 0.84×1 topic

Which countries lead Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research?

On research quality in 2022–2025, the United States, China and the United Kingdom rank highest in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine. By volume, the United States and China publish the most (7.3k and 4.2k works in 2022–2025).

By research quality, 2022–2025

  1. 1 United States · #1 all time 14.9% top 10% · 7.3k works
  2. 2 China · #5 all time 21.9% top 10% · 4.2k works
  3. 3 United Kingdom · #2 all time 18.1% top 10% · 1.5k works
  4. 4 Canada · #4 all time 21.2% top 10% · 895 works
  5. 5 France · #3 all time 21.0% top 10% · 847 works
  6. 6 Italy · #7 all time 22.8% top 10% · 1k works
  7. 7 Germany · #6 all time 17.4% top 10% · 1.2k works
  8. 8 Australia · #8 all time 20.7% top 10% · 845 works
  9. 9 Spain · #10 all time 14.3% top 10% · 914 works
  10. 10 Japan · #12 all time 12.0% top 10% · 1.2k works

The track on each row is that row’s top-10% rate. The ranking itself is the composite score, which the rate is only one part of.

Of 29 countries ranked in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine. Composite of field-normalised excellence (50%), output (30%) and citations (20%); the bracket is the all-time rank.

All countries ranked in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 United States 7.3k works
  2. 2 China 4.2k works
  3. 3 United Kingdom 1.5k works
  4. 4 India 1.5k works
  5. 5 Germany 1.2k works
  6. 6 Japan 1.2k works
  7. 7 Italy 1k works
  8. 8 Spain 914 works
  9. 9 Canada 895 works
  10. 10 Türkiye 868 works

How concentrated that is

The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.

United States: 35.3%China: 20.4%United Kingdom: 7.5%India: 7.3%6 others listed: 29.5%35%largest
United States7,281 · 35.3%China4,200 · 20.4%United Kingdom1,541 · 7.5%India1,505 · 7.3%6 others listed6,080 · 29.5%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research?

Harvard University (United States) ranks first in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine on research quality in 2022–2025, followed by Inserm and University of Toronto.

By research quality, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Harvard University United States · Cambridge · #1 all time 25.7% top 10% · 93 works
  2. 2 Inserm France · Paris · #12 all time 26.5% top 10% · 69 works
  3. 3 University of Toronto Canada · Toronto · #6 all time 24.9% top 10% · 72 works
  4. 4 Sichuan University China · Chengdu · #87 all time 25.0% top 10% · 86 works
  5. 5 University of Pittsburgh United States · Pittsburgh · #3 all time 22.4% top 10% · 71 works
  6. 6 Capital Medical University China · Beijing · #92 all time 19.5% top 10% · 79 works
  7. 7 Johns Hopkins University United States · Baltimore · #2 all time 20.4% top 10% · 73 works
  8. 8 Massachusetts General Hospital United States · Boston · #7 all time 20.1% top 10% · 73 works
  9. 9 University of Pennsylvania United States · Philadelphia · #10 all time 18.2% top 10% · 76 works
  10. 10 Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College China · Beijing 22.6% top 10% · 64 works

The track on each row is that row’s top-10% rate. The ranking itself is the composite score, which the rate is only one part of.

Of 14 institutions above the floor of 40 fractional works in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine.

Top 100 Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine institutions

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Harvard University United States 93 works
  2. 2 Sichuan University China 86 works
  3. 3 All India Institute of Medical Sciences India 84 works
  4. 4 Capital Medical University China 79 works
  5. 5 Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Türkiye 78 works
  6. 6 University of Pennsylvania United States 76 works
  7. 7 Johns Hopkins University United States 73 works
  8. 8 Massachusetts General Hospital United States 73 works
  9. 9 University of Toronto Canada 72 works
  10. 10 University of Pittsburgh United States 71 works

Who are the leading researchers in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine?

Among the most productive authors in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine, Gordon Guyatt, Emelia J. Benjamin and Perminder S. Sachdev rank highest on the composite score.

  1. 1 Gordon Guyatt Canada · #11 worldwide 6.8k citations · 254 works
  2. 2 Emelia J. Benjamin United States · #54 worldwide 6k citations · 166 works
  3. 3 Perminder S. Sachdev Australia · #56 worldwide 4.6k citations · 215 works
  4. 4 Patrick M. Bossuyt Netherlands · #59 worldwide 14k citations · 137 works
  5. 5 Patrizio Lancellotti Belgium · #86 worldwide 4.1k citations · 241 works
  6. 6 Andrew S. Levey United States · #272 worldwide 2.8k citations · 188 works
  7. 7 Fabio Piscaglia Italy · #276 worldwide 2.2k citations · 151 works
  8. 8 Jens‐Uwe Voigt Belgium · #280 worldwide 2.4k citations · 142 works
  9. 9 Matthew E. Falagas United States · #324 worldwide 2k citations · 134 works
  10. 10 David L. Paterson Australia · #544 worldwide 3k citations · 114 works

Re-ranked on the composite score from the 4,287 highest-output authors in Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine. Identities come from OpenAlex author disambiguation, which occasionally merges or splits people.

Top 100 Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine researchers

Where is Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research done?

The largest centres of Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), London (United Kingdom), Boston (United States) and Paris (France).

Largest cities, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Beijing China 555 works
  2. 2 London United Kingdom 442 works
  3. 3 Boston United States 316 works
  4. 4 Paris France 306 works
  5. 5 New York United States 305 works
  6. 6 Seoul South Korea 293 works
  7. 7 Shanghai China 292 works
  8. 8 Tokyo Japan 283 works
  9. 9 Madrid Spain 250 works
  10. 10 Melbourne Australia 244 works
See Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine on the map

Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research by country

The best places for Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research inside each country, with that country's researchers and world standing.

Where is the best place to study Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine?

Among universities, judged by research, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Harvard University and Sichuan University score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

0%20%40%mean 23.54%fractional works in this node (log) →share in the world top 10% →Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: 38, 21.3%Harvard University: 93, 25.7%Sichuan University: 86, 25.0%Karolinska Institutet: 46, 27.8%University of Oxford: 37, 30.5%Capital Medical University: 79, 19.5%University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus: 36, 18.2%University of Toronto: 72, 24.9%Indiana University School of Medicine: 22, 19.9%Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College: 64, 22.6%Karolinska InstitutetHarvard UniversitySichuan UniversityUniformed Services U…
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.

#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences United States 61.221.3%13.8×38 +53.0%
2Harvard University United States 56.425.7%2.5×93 +39.3%
3Sichuan University China 55.725.0%1.7×86 +125.1%
4Karolinska Institutet Sweden 55.227.8%3.5×46 +31.3%
5University of Oxford United Kingdom 52.230.5%0.9×37 +112.4%
6Capital Medical University China 51.619.5%4.6×79 +30.6%
7University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus United States 51.418.2%4.5×36 +176.6%
8University of Toronto Canada 50.624.9%1.7×72 +34.9%
9Indiana University School of Medicine ?? 50.019.9%4.6×22 +210.4%
10Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College China 49.922.6%2.2×64 +88.5%

Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.

Is Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine research growing?

Output in 2018–2022 was 39% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders, Ultrasound in Clinical Applications and Trauma, Hemostasis, Coagulopathy, Resuscitation.

19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Which topics inside it are moving

Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.

  1. Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders+155%
  2. Ultrasound in Clinical Applications+154%
  3. Trauma, Hemostasis, Coagulopathy, Resuscitation+96%
  4. Nosocomial Infections in ICU+84%
  5. Thermal Regulation in Medicine+44%
← shrinkingno changegrowing →

Growth in output from 2005–09 to 2015–19. Every topic is a page of its own.

What does Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine include?

Intensive Care Unit Cogn…42kIntensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders: 42k fractional worksNosocomial Infections in…31kNosocomial Infections in ICU: 31k fractional worksTrauma, Hemostasis, Coagulopathy, Resuscitation: 29k fractional worksUltrasound in Clinical Applications: 22k fractional worksThermal Regulation in Medicine: 22k fractional works

Area is fractional works in that topic. Every name below is a page of its own.