Submissions

Author Guidelines

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform of the Revista Argentina de Terapia Intensiva (RATI).

The platform allows electronic submission of manuscripts, completion of the required metadata, attachment of supplementary documentation, and tracking of the manuscript throughout all stages of the editorial process.

Before initiating the submission, authors must carefully read these Author Guidelines and the Editorial Policies of the journal, verifying that the manuscript complies with all established scientific, ethical, editorial, and transparency requirements.

Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the manuscript being returned before the peer review process begins.

The main file must contain exclusively the manuscript text (without the title page), the abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, and figure legends.

The title page, figures, and any supplementary material must be uploaded as separate files using the corresponding category during the submission process.

For inquiries related to the editorial process or manuscript submission, authors may contact the Editorial Office of the journal by email: revista@sati.org.ar or revistarati@gmail.com

COVER LETTER

All manuscripts must be accompanied by a mandatory Cover Letter, which must be included during the submission process in the section designated for comments to the Editor.

The Cover Letter must include:

· The journal section for which the manuscript is proposed.

· A brief explanation (one paragraph maximum) about the originality, scientific relevance, and potential contribution of the work to the field of critical care and intensive therapy.

· A statement that the manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not simultaneously under consideration by another scientific journal.

· Confirmation that all authors meet the authorship criteria established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and that they approve the submitted version.

· In case of an existing preprint, preliminary publication, redundant publication, or any other circumstance related to prior dissemination of the work, these must be expressly detailed, indicating any permissions obtained when necessary.

· A statement on the use of generative artificial intelligence tools in the preparation of the manuscript, when applicable. If AI was used, indicate the name of the tool, specific purpose, and confirm the authors' responsibility for accuracy, originality, and source citation.

The information included in the Cover Letter complements the mandatory declarations made during the submission process and does not replace the forms required by the journal.

Reviewer Suggestions

Authors may suggest up to three reviewers with expertise in the subject matter of the manuscript. Suggested individuals must:

· Possess recognized expertise in the field.

· Not belong to the same institution as the authors.

· Not have collaborated scientifically with any of the authors during the past three years.

· Not have academic, personal, or financial conflicts of interest related to the work.

The final decision on reviewer selection rests exclusively with the Editor and the Editorial Committee.

TITLE PAGE

The title page must be submitted as a separate file from the main manuscript to preserve anonymity during peer review.

It must contain the following information:

a) Title

Full title of the article, concise, specific, and informative. It is also recommended to include a short title of no more than 60 characters for editorial headers.

b) Authors

For each author, the following must be indicated: First Name, Last Name, Full Institutional Affiliation, City, Province or State when applicable, Country, ORCID Identifier (recommended).

The order of authors shall be as agreed upon by them and may not be modified during the editorial process without the written consent of all authors and the approval of the Editor.

c) Author Roles (CRediT)

In accordance with the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), each author must indicate their specific contributions to the work by selecting one or more of the following roles:

· Conceptualization: ideas; formulation or evolution of overarching research goals and aims.

· Methodology: development or design of methodology; creation of models.

· Software: programming, software development; design of computer programs.

· Validation: formal verification; testing of results and conclusions.

· Formal Analysis: application of statistical, mathematical, computational techniques.

· Investigation: conducting a research and investigation process; performing experiments and tests.

· Resources: provision of study materials, reagents, analytical materials, laboratory samples.

· Data Curation: management activities for data access, integration, and verification.

· Writing – Original Draft: preparation, creation, and presentation of the published work.

· Writing – Review & Editing: critical review of the manuscript writing; review and interpretation before publication.

· Visualization: preparation, creation, and presentation of visual data, figures, illustrations.

· Supervision: oversight and leadership responsibility for the planning and execution.

· Project Administration: management and coordination of planning and execution.

· Funding Acquisition: acquisition of financial support for the project.

Authors must indicate each author's contributions for each role in a table.

d) Institutional Affiliation

Each affiliation must clearly identify the institution where the work was conducted. When multiple institutions are involved, they must be numbered consecutively.

e) Corresponding Author

The following must be provided: Full name, Postal address, Institutional email address, Contact telephone number. The corresponding author will be responsible for all communications with the journal during the editorial process and after publication.

f) Funding

All sources of funding that contributed to the development of the study must be declared. When the study did not receive external funding, it must be expressly stated: "The authors declare that this research did not receive specific funding from public, commercial, or non-profit entities."

g) Conflicts of Interest

All authors must declare the existence or absence of financial, personal, institutional, or academic conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of results. The declared information must be consistent with the Conflict of Interest Declaration submitted during the submission process. When no conflicts of interest exist, the following must be included: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this work."

h) Ethics Approval

Research involving human subjects must indicate: the Ethics Committee that approved the study, the Approval number when available, the Date of approval when applicable. Authors must declare that the research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, the CIOMS Guidelines, and current legislation. Studies involving animals must report compliance with national and international animal welfare regulations.

i) Informed Consent

When applicable, it must be expressly stated that informed consent was obtained from participants or their legal representatives. If the Ethics Committee waived such consent, this circumstance must be clearly stated.

j) Data Availability

The Revista Argentina de Terapia Intensiva promotes Open Science practices. All manuscripts must include a data availability statement indicating one of the following options:

· Data are available in a public repository (provide DOI or permanent link).

· Data will be available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author (provide email address).

· Data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality restrictions (briefly describe the nature of the restriction).

k) Acknowledgments

Individuals or institutions that contributed to the study without meeting the authorship criteria established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) may be mentioned. Authors are responsible for obtaining the appropriate authorization from all individuals mentioned.

PUBLICATION GUIDELINES

JOURNAL SECTIONS

The Revista Argentina de Terapia Intensiva publishes the following types of manuscripts:

· Original Articles

· Narrative Reviews

· Systematic Reviews

· Meta-analyses

· Brief Communications

· Clinical Notes

· Letters to the Editor

· Editorials

· Special Articles

· Clinical Practice Guidelines

· Consensus Documents

· Research Protocols

· Images in Intensive Therapy

· Thematic Supplements approved by the Editorial Committee

All manuscripts will undergo initial editorial evaluation and, when applicable, the peer review process in accordance with the journal's Editorial Policies.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

This category includes clinical trials, observational studies, cohort studies, case-control studies, diagnostic investigations, prognostic studies, economic evaluations, translational research, methodological studies, qualitative and quantitative research, systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis, and other original research related to critical care.

The maximum length shall be 4,000 words, excluding the abstract, references, tables, and figures.

Up to 40 references, four tables, and two figures are permitted, unless express authorization is granted by the Editorial Committee when the nature of the work justifies it.

In multicenter studies, it is recommended to limit the number of authors to those who meet the ICMJE authorship criteria. When the number of investigators is greater, they may be included as members of a collaborative group, in accordance with the journal's authorship policies.

The abstract must be structured and have a maximum length of 300 words.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSES

The journal accepts Systematic Reviews with or without meta-analysis, giving priority to those that address relevant clinical questions and have been developed following internationally accepted methodologies.

Reviews must comply with the recommendations of the PRISMA statement in its current version.

It is recommended that the protocol be previously registered in a public database, such as PROSPERO, when applicable.

Meta-analyses must be part of a systematic review; standalone meta-analyses will not be accepted.

The Editorial Committee may reject reviews whose topic has been recently addressed by the journal, unless they provide substantially new evidence.

The abstract must be structured with a maximum length of 250 words.

BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS

Brief Communications are intended to disseminate preliminary results, original observations, methodological innovations, or findings of special interest whose rapid communication is relevant to the scientific community.

The maximum length shall be 2,000 words.

The structure may be more flexible than that of an original article, and must include a brief introduction, a description of the study, the main results, and conclusions.

When necessary, supplementary files with additional methodological information may be attached.

The Editorial Committee will evaluate the appropriateness of this format based on the scientific importance of the work.

Up to 20 references, two tables, and one figure are permitted.

CLINICAL NOTES

This section will publish one or more clinical cases of exceptional scientific, educational, or clinical interest that provide novel information or contribute significantly to the knowledge of diseases, diagnostic procedures, or therapeutic strategies in critical care.

Cases must provide a relevant teaching point and be supported by an updated literature review.

The maximum length shall be 1,500 words, excluding references.

Up to 20 references, two figures, and two tables are permitted.

The number of authors must correspond exclusively to those who meet the authorship criteria established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

The abstract must not exceed 150 words.

Whenever applicable, authors must declare that informed consent was obtained for the publication of the clinical case and associated images.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor provide a space for scientific exchange and academic debate.

They may consist of:

· Comments on articles recently published in the journal.

· Methodological observations.

· Brief communications of scientific interest.

· Complementary contributions related to critical care topics.

The maximum length shall be 500 words.

Up to five references are permitted.

The number of authors must be strictly necessary to meet the authorship criteria.

When a Letter to the Editor refers to an article previously published in the journal, the Editorial Committee will offer the original authors the opportunity to respond under equal editorial conditions. Both texts may be published together.

EDITORIALS

Editorials reflect the opinion of invited experts or the Editorial Committee on current topics, articles published by the journal, or issues relevant to critical care medicine.

They will generally be solicited by the Editor.

The maximum length shall be 2,000 words.

SPECIAL ARTICLES (BY EDITORIAL INVITATION ONLY)

The journal may publish special articles related to:

· Recommendations.

· Clinical Practice Guidelines.

· Consensus Documents.

· Position Statements.

· Technical Reports.

· Methodological Papers.

· Educational Articles.

· Updates relevant to critical care medicine.

These manuscripts may be received at the authors' initiative or by invitation of the Editorial Committee.

The maximum length shall be 4,000 words.

Up to 60 references, five tables, and four figures are permitted.

CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES AND CONSENSUS DOCUMENTS

The journal will publish guidelines and consensus documents prepared by scientific societies, expert groups, or recognized academic institutions in the field of critical care medicine.

It is recommended that these documents be developed using internationally recognized methodologies, such as GRADE, AGREE II, or equivalent approaches.

Preference will be given to those prepared by the Sociedad Argentina de Terapia Intensiva (SATI) or its committees.

The length and references will be determined by the Editorial Committee based on the nature and scope of the document.

RESEARCH PROTOCOLS

Protocols corresponding to clinical trials, observational studies, systematic reviews, or other research projects will be accepted.

Protocols must clearly describe:

· Scientific rationale.

· Objectives.

· Methodology.

· Statistical analysis.

· Ethical aspects.

· Study registration status when applicable.

The maximum length shall be 3,000 words.

Up to 30 references, three tables, and two figures are permitted.

IMAGES IN INTENSIVE THERAPY

This section is intended for the publication of images of exceptional educational value related to critical care medicine.

Images must be accompanied by a brief clinical description, with a maximum length of 10 lines, highlighting the educational message.

Whenever possible, arrows, symbols, or graphic elements that facilitate interpretation should be included.

Images must meet the technical requirements established by the journal and comply with confidentiality and informed consent regulations.

The number of authors is limited to three.

SUPPLEMENTS

The Revista Argentina de Terapia Intensiva may publish thematic supplements approved by the Editorial Committee.

Supplements must meet the same scientific, ethical, and editorial standards applicable to regular issues of the journal and will be subject to the corresponding editorial and review process as determined.

FORMAL ASPECTS OF THE MANUSCRIPT

All manuscripts must be written in Spanish or English, using clear, precise, and correct scientific language.

The manuscript must be presented in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx), double-spaced, with 25 mm margins on all four sides, Arial font size 12, and consecutive page numbering, starting from the title page.

It is recommended to use only abbreviations widely accepted in the field of critical care medicine. The use of abbreviations in the title and abstract should be avoided. The first time an abbreviation appears in the text, it must be preceded by the full term it refers to, except for internationally accepted units of measurement.

Units of measurement should preferably be expressed in accordance with the International System of Units (SI).

Decimal numbers must be separated by a comma in Spanish manuscripts and by a period in English manuscripts.

Each of the following sections must begin on a new page:

· Title Page

· Abstract and Keywords

· Main Text

· References

· Tables

· Figure Legends

Figures must be uploaded as separate files during the submission process.

ABSTRACT

All manuscripts must include an abstract in the language of the article.

Original articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, protocols, and other manuscripts as determined by the Editorial Committee must also include an abstract in English.

The abstract must faithfully reflect the content of the work and allow comprehension of its main methodological aspects and results without the need to consult the full text.

Abstract for Original Articles

The maximum length shall be 300 words.

It must be structured with the following sections:

· Objective: clearly describe the research question or hypothesis.

· Design: specify the study type using international nomenclature. Examples: Randomized clinical trial, Cohort study, Case-control study, Cross-sectional study, Diagnostic study, Predictive model, Case series.

· Setting: describe the healthcare context where the research was conducted.

· Patients or Participants: specify inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria, number of patients evaluated, number finally included, and when applicable, report losses to follow-up.

· Interventions: briefly describe the interventions performed.

· Main Outcome Variables: clearly indicate which were the primary and secondary variables defined before the start of the study.

· Results: present exclusively the main results, accompanied whenever possible by precision measures such as 95% confidence intervals, measures of association, and effect estimates. Clinical trials must present results following the intention-to-treat principle. Diagnostic studies must report sensitivity, specificity, and, when applicable, likelihood ratios.

· Conclusions: must be derived exclusively from the results obtained, avoiding statements not supported by the evidence presented.

Keywords

At the end of the abstract, three to ten keywords must be included.

It is recommended to use terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) of the U.S. National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh

Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) may also be used: https://decs.bvsalud.org/

When no adequate term exists, the commonly accepted scientific designation may be used.

MAIN TEXT

The structure of the manuscript will depend on the type of article submitted.

Original articles must be organized, unless methodologically justified, following the IMRaD format:

· Introduction

· Materials and Methods

· Results

· Discussion

When the nature of the study requires it (for example, systematic reviews, qualitative studies, protocols, or clinical practice guidelines), the Editorial Committee may accept alternative structures in accordance with the corresponding international recommendations.

Introduction

The introduction must present clearly and concisely the scientific context of the problem, relevant background, and the rationale for the study.

It must conclude with the primary objective or research hypothesis.

It is recommended to limit the literature review to the information strictly necessary to understand the rationale for the work.

Materials and Methods

This section must provide sufficient information to allow reproducibility of the study.

It must include, as applicable:

Study Design: clearly specify the methodological design using internationally accepted nomenclature. Examples: Randomized clinical trial, Cohort study, Cross-sectional study, Case-control study, Diagnostic study, Predictive model, Qualitative study.

Study Setting: describe the institution, city, and country where the research was conducted.

Participants: describe inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria, selection method, sample size, and losses to follow-up when applicable.

Variables: clearly define the primary variable, secondary variables, diagnostic criteria, and operational definitions.

Procedures: sufficiently describe interventions, measurements, equipment used, and procedures applied to allow replication. When commercial equipment is used, the manufacturer, city, and country must be indicated.

Statistical Analysis: describe statistical methods used, software employed (name, version, and manufacturer), level of statistical significance, handling of missing data when applicable, and sensitivity analyses if performed. It is recommended to present results using estimates accompanied by 95% confidence intervals, avoiding exclusive reliance on p-values.

Ethical Aspects

Research involving human subjects must indicate:

· Approval by a Research Ethics Committee.

· Approval number when applicable.

· Obtainment of informed consent.

· Compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and current regulations.

Studies involving animals must report compliance with national and international animal welfare regulations.

When applicable, the clinical trial or protocol registration number in the corresponding public registry must be indicated.

Results

Results must be presented clearly, objectively, and in a logical sequence.

Data already included in tables or figures must not be repeated in the text.

It is recommended to report:

· Effect measures.

· Confidence intervals.

· P-values when applicable.

· Absolute numbers in addition to percentages.

Secondary analyses must be identified as such.

Discussion

The discussion must focus on the interpretation of the main findings.

The following order is recommended:

· Main results.

· Comparison with previous studies.

· Explanation of differences found.

· Strengths.

· Limitations.

· Clinical implications.

· Future lines of research.

Conclusions must directly address the stated objective.

Statements not supported by the results obtained must not be made.

REFERENCES

References must be prepared in accordance with the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Vancouver style.

References must be cited using consecutive Arabic numerals in the order of appearance in the text.

Numbers must be placed as superscripts or in parentheses, following the journal's editorial style.

It is recommended to preferentially cite original scientific literature published in peer-reviewed journals.

When a DOI exists, it must be included in the reference.

The following should be avoided:

· Conference abstracts.

· Personal communications.

· Documents not peer-reviewed.

· Websites without institutional backing.

Journal names must be abbreviated according to the official catalog of the National Library of Medicine (NLM): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all cited references.

TABLES

Tables must be prepared using the Microsoft Word table tool.

Each table must:

· Be numbered consecutively.

· Have a brief title.

· Be cited in the text.

· Be placed at the end of the manuscript.

Abbreviations used must be explained in footnotes.

They must not duplicate information presented in figures.

FIGURES

Figures must be submitted as separate files.

The following image formats are accepted:

· TIFF

· JPG

· PNG

· EPS

A minimum resolution of 300 dpi for photographs and 600 dpi for graphics or line illustrations is recommended.

Each figure must be cited in the text in consecutive order.

Legends must be placed at the end of the manuscript and not within the image.

When a figure has been previously published, authors must present the corresponding authorization and properly cite the original source.

Clinical images must preserve patient confidentiality. When there is a possibility of identification, informed consent for publication is mandatory.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

The journal accepts supplementary material when it contributes to the understanding of the study.

The following may be included, among others:

· Databases.

· Protocols.

· Appendices.

· Videos.

· Multimedia files.

· Programming codes.

· Research instruments.

The Editorial Committee will decide on their publication.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESEARCH REPORTING

The Revista Argentina de Terapia Intensiva recommends the use of the reporting guidelines developed by the EQUATOR Network, according to the type of study submitted.

Following these guidelines facilitates editorial evaluation and improves the transparency, reproducibility, and methodological quality of manuscripts.

Recommended guidelines by study type:

· Clinical trials: CONSORT

· Observational studies: STROBE

· Systematic reviews: PRISMA

· Protocols: SPIRIT

· Case reports: CARE

· Diagnostic studies: STARD

· Predictive models: TRIPOD

· Economic evaluations: CHEERS

EDITORIAL DISCRETION CLAUSE

The Editorial Committee may request additional information, analyses, documentation, or modifications when necessary to ensure compliance with ethical, legal, or data access regulations in effect at the time of evaluation; ensure scientific transparency and reproducibility of methodologically complex findings; resolve inconsistencies, inaccuracies, or clarifications that affect the integrity of the research; or verify that mandatory declarations are accurate and complete.

Such requests must be made in writing and will allow the author to present reasoned objections or provide clarifications before any final editorial decision.