The guns opened fire in the darkness.

Some ships saw the enemy. Others saw nothing at all.

Far away, in a paediatric intensive care unit, a syringe fills with fluid—and a feed is stopped.

The decision feels careful. Responsible. Safe.

By morning, no disaster has occurred.

But what, exactly, has been proven?

Added September 7th

Mortality is the outcome that matters most—but a statistically significant result is not always a settled answer. This collection brings together the pivotal acute and critical care trials that reported a mortality benefit or harm. It distinguishes primary outcomes from secondary analyses, subgroup findings and restricted analyses. It also follows the important stories that came afterwards. Where a promising mortality effect was not reproduced in a later large multicentre trial, the studies are shown side by side.

Where apparent harm was subsequently not confirmed, that evidence is presented with the same scrutiny. Across 187 trial entries, the collection makes the evolution of critical care evidence visible. It is a practical resource for understanding not simply whether mortality changed, but how confidently we should believe it. Explore the trials that changed practice, challenged assumptions and refined the evidence.

Added August 26th