Master Checklist (apply to every ICU paper you read)

1. Study type & design

a. What question does it answer? (Descriptive, analytical, interventional?)

b. Is the design matched to the question?

c. Randomisation & blinding reported? (Ch 3)

2. Population & external validity

a. Who was included? (Inclusion/exclusion criteria)

b. Where? (Setting, country, volume)

c. Does it match your ICU?

3. Intervention & comparison

a. What was the intervention? (dose, timing, duration)

b. Was it delivered as described?

c. Standard care vs placebo?

4. Outcomes & measurement

a. Primary outcome? (clinically meaningful?)

b. How measured? (blinded?)

c. Outcome definition clear?

5. Statistical analysis

a. Primary analysis: ITT vs PP? (Ch 4)

b. Appropriate for data type? (Ch 5–13)

c. Confounders adjusted? (Ch 13)

d. Sample size/power reported? (Ch 7)

e. Interaction/sensitivity analyses? (Ch 13)

5. Results

a. Effect measures with 95% CIs? (Ch 7, 9)

b. CI clinically meaningful? (not just p < 0.05)

c. Results consistent with design?

6. Limitations & generalisability

a. Author‑acknowledged limitations

b. Sensitivity analyses?

c. Applicable to your ICU?

7. Decision

a. Should you change practice?

b. What further evidence is needed?

Open-access source library (verified free)