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 anaesthesists surgeons pediatricians and all concerned with the pre-clinical subjects and medical sciences basic to these disciplines. It publishes Review articles reflecting the present state of knowledge in special areas or summarizing limited 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 Brief reports of uncommon and interesting disorders Correspondence concerning matters of topical interest or relating to published material Book reviews Reports of meetings Announcements