Progress through Persistence: JCCCTSS 2025

2025 YEAR OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS

In 2025, readership of the Journal of Cardiac Critical Care TSS continued to favor articles with direct bedside relevance and practical guidance in the cardiac ICU. There are many intellectual geniuses among cardiac critical care intensivists, but it defies all reasoning why most authors are more adept than others in choosing a title which brings greater readership and citations! Reviews focusing on transfusion and patient blood management, such as advances in transfusion practices in cardiac surgery,^[1] optimization of red cell mass,^[2] and comparisons between massive transfusion protocols and goal-directed bleeding management,^[3] were among the most frequently accessed. ECMO-related content also drew sustained attention, including comprehensive discussions on ECMO nursing care,^[4] platelet reactivity monitoring during ECMO,^[5] and post-ECMO rehabilitation strategies.^[6] Clinicians showed strong interest in perioperative and anesthetic challenges, reflected in high readership of reviews on endovascular aortic aneurysm repair,^[7] and prolonged ICU stay after cardiac surgery.^[8] Case-based articles addressing rare but high-impact complications, such as transesophageal echocardiography probe-induced esophageal perforation^[9,10] and complex myocarditis presenting as cardiogenic shock,^[11] were also widely read. In 2025 issues specifically, focused guidance on bleeding management in pediatric cyanotic cardiac surgery^[12] and historically reflective pieces with clinical relevance^[13] further contributed to the reader engagement, underscoring the journal’s role in blending practical science, clinical judgment, and educational value.^[14]

CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND GOALS FOR 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, the Journal of Cardiac Critical Care TSS aims to build on its momentum by strengthening scientific quality while pursuing higher indexing and wider international recognition. A key goal is to attract more subject-based special issues on highly cited original research and collaborative, multi-center studies that enhance the journal’s global visibility and citation impact. Topics such as cardiac nutrition, cardio diabetes, and sepsis in the cardiac surgical patient will be a focus of these special issues in 2026. Expanding international authorship and cross-border research partnerships will remain central to positioning the journal as a truly global platform in cardiac critical care. Continued emphasis on methodological rigor, clinically relevant innovation, and consensus-driven content will support inclusion in higher indexing databases. Together, these objectives reflect a focused commitment to growth, credibility, and sustained academic influence in 2026.

GRATITUDE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Editorial Board, our peer reviewers, contributing authors, and dedicated readers. Your collective commitment and scholarly rigor have been central to the success of Journal of Cardiac Critical Care TSS this year. The journal’s inclusion in major indexing platforms such as EMBASE and SCOPUS marks an important milestone, reflecting growing international recognition and increased citation impact. We take this opportunity to place on record our sincere gratitude to our publisher, Scientific Scholar, for their continued support and stewardship of the journal. The steady rise in high-quality submissions, multinational collaborations, and clinically relevant research underscores our shared vision of advancing cardiac critical care globally.

Persistence of misogynistic views shows neither the education nor the culture; there exists an inertia among the busy cardiac critical care intensivists to publish. In the modern world of 2025, the growing emphasis on authorship among cardiac critical care intensivists should be interpreted within the broader context of the prevailing academic zeitgeist— namely, “publish or perish.”

As we step into the New Year, let us do so with renewed optimism and a collective commitment to further strengthening scientific excellence, collaboration, and innovation. May 2026 bring new insights, deeper partnerships, and meaningful progress toward improved patient outcomes. On behalf of the editorial team, I wish you all a healthy, prosperous, and impactful New Year, and I look forward to continuing this journey together in service of better cardiac care worldwide.