Foundational Trials
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Our Foundational Trials Collection provides a set of contempory trials upon which modern critical care is based. This is an excellent starting point for those new to the field, those preparing for exams and those wishing to refresh their knowledge.
This collection combines brief summaries of the trials, with critique and commentary. These are not a substitute for reading the original paper, but helps put each trial in context.
This collection is not yet complete and we're working hard to finish it this month. Of course, trial selection is subjective and others may chose different trials. The aim of this Collection is to provide a set of trials which provide the foundation of modern practice. For a complete set of important critical care trials, check out the "Trials" section on the menu.
We'll be publishing more collections over the next several months.
added January 22nd

By System
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Neuro
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Circulatory
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Resuscitation
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Airway
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Respiratory
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Gastrointestinal
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Nutrition
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Liver
Lee
Lee. Intravenous N-Acetylcysteine Improves Transplant-Free Survival in Early Stage Non-Acetaminophen Acute Liver Failure. Gastroenterology 2009;137(3):856-864
STOPAH
Thursz. Prednisolone or pentoxifylline for alcoholic hepatitis. N Engl J Med 2015;372(17):1619‑1628
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Renal
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Haematology
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Sepsis
PneumA
Chastre. Comparison of 8 vs. 15 days of antibiotic therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2003;290:2588-2598
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Trauma
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Endocrine
Annane
Annane. Effect of treatment with low doses of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone on mortality in patients with septic shock. JAMA 2002;288:862-871
Neuro | Circulatory | Resuscitation | Airway | Respiratory | Gastrointestinal | Nutrition | Liver | Renal | Haematology | Sepsis | Trauma | Endocrine | Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Last updated February 4th, 2026


