Case Reports in Intensive Care Medicine 2026

Intensive care medicine continues to evolve rapidly, driven by innovations in multi-organ support, advanced bedside diagnostics, and the management of increasingly complex, multi-morbid patients. Despite the prevalence of standardized protocols and evidence-based bundles, individual patient trajectories in the ICU frequently challenge clinical expectations—revealing rare pathophysiological states, unexpected responses to life-sustaining therapies, or exceptional recoveries following innovative interventions. This Research Topic aims to curate high-quality case reports that deepen the understanding of critical illness and translate bedside observations into improved patient safety and intensive care outcomes.This collection will highlight unique, well-documented case reports that meaningfully advance the field of Intensive Care Medicine. By presenting detailed analyses of rare, surprising, or highly instructive cases, this Research Topic seeks to enhance mechanistic understanding of critical illness events, stimulate clinical and scientific discussion, and inform future research and best practices. Each case report should provide clear educational value, demonstrating diagnostic reasoning, interpretation of longitudinal physiological data, and thoughtful therapeutic decision-making in the high-acuity environment.To ensure a focused and impactful collection, this Research Topic will strictly include Case Reports (and, where appropriate, clinically cohesive single-case descriptions with strong mechanistic or therapeutic insight). Submissions must be original and should offer clear novelty, such as new insights into critical care complications, rare syndromes encountered in the ICU, or innovative approaches to organ support and recovery.This Research Topic is intentionally broad across the spectrum of intensive care, while remaining centered on clinical management and patient outcomes, including:• Advanced Respiratory Support: Cases involving refractory ARDS, novel mechanical ventilation strategies, or unique challenges in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).• Hemodynamic Instability and Shock: Unique presentations of circulatory failure, rare etiologies of shock, or the innovative use of vasopressors and mechanical circulatory support.• Multi-Organ Failure and Support: Anesthetic and intensivist management of complex multi-organ dysfunction, including innovations in Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) or liver support systems.• Neurocritical Care: Cases demonstrating the impact of advanced neuromonitoring, management of rare neurological emergencies, or unexpected outcomes in severe brain injury.• Sepsis and Infectious Disease: Unusual manifestations of sepsis, management of rare or highly resistant pathogens, and innovative immunomodulatory treatments.• Precision Medicine and Diagnostics: Cases demonstrating the impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), rapid genomic sequencing, or novel biomarkers on ICU decision-making.• Post-ICU Recovery and Ethics: Exceptional cases highlighting Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), complex end-of-life decision-making, or systemic changes that materially influenced the clinical course of a critically ill patient.Studies focused primarily on routine clinical practice without a clear emphasis on novelty, mechanism, or significant educational value are out of scope for this Research Topic.To be eligible for inclusion, manuscripts must have “Case Report” in the article title. Topic editors: Zhongheng Zhang, Yuetian Yu, Cheng Zhu Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78267/case-reports-in-intensive-care-medicine-2026