Medical science never stands still. Researchers across the globe are continually striving to improve technology and the way we treat critically ill patients. Every now and then, one publication amongst the many makes us reconsider and maybe change direction. In this collection, we take these watershed papers and get straight to the point by stripping them back to the key facts and findings and presenting them in a standardized, easy to digest format (articles available in English only). We hope you enjoy them and would love to hear your feedback or comments.