Anaesthesiology
Joachim Boldt: Ludwigshafen anaesthesia studies, 2010 to 2026
Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Germany (earlier Justus Liebig University Giessen)
Misconduct found Removed as head of anaesthesiology at Klinikum Ludwigshafen in November 2010. The hospital's committee found false data in at least 10 papers in 2012, and journals were still retracting his papers in 2026, bringing the total to 240.1,5,7
Papers
| Paper | Action | Date | Reason stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 240 retracted papers, the highest count on the Retraction Watch leaderboard as of July 2026 Multiple journals, 1987 to 2011 https://retractionwatch.com/2026/07/15/joachim-boldt-retractions-journals-more-than-decade-later/1,3 | Retracted | 2011 to 2026 | Early retractions cited lack of ethics approval. Retraction Watch reported that 2026 European Journal of Anaesthesiology notices for a 2006 review cite data falsification, absence of ethics approval, and non-reproducible results as reasons for retracting the key studies it relied on. |
| Saline versus balanced hydroxyethyl starch: does it matter? Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology, 2008 https://doi.org/10.1097/aco.0b013e32830dd05b4 | Retracted | 1 February 2026 | Retraction recorded in Crossref by the publisher. Notice text not read. |
Investigations
- Editors of 18 journals, March 2011Agreed to retract 88 papers, according to Retraction Watch.3
- Justus Liebig University Giessen standing commission, April 2011Considered scientific misconduct by Boldt proven, centred on a publication retracted for lack of laboratory and patient data, and found he destroyed study data he was required to keep, according to Ärzte Zeitung.6
- Klinikum Ludwigshafen investigation committee, 9 August 2012Examined 91 articles published from 1999 to 2011 and found that false data were published in at least 10. The committee found that no patients had been physically harmed. The hospital passed the report to the public prosecutor's office.5,2
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, 2018Recommended that all articles where he is the responsible author be retracted, even without explicit evidence of falsification in each, according to Retraction Watch.1
Sources
- Retraction Watch, Now, 240: More than a decade later, journals are still retracting Joachim Boldt's papers (15 July 2026)
- Retraction Watch, Boldt inquiry concludes: False findings in at least 10 studies, but no harm to patients (10 August 2012)
- Retraction Watch, What happened to Joachim Boldt's 88 papers that were supposed to be retracted? (10 September 2013)
- Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology, via Crossref, Saline versus balanced hydroxyethyl starch: does it matter? RETRACTION, Crossref metadata (1 February 2026)
- Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Hospital presents results of final report, committee completes investigation in the case of Dr Boldt (9 August 2012)
- Ärzte Zeitung, Uni Giessen wirft Boldt wissenschaftliches Fehlverhalten vor (19 April 2011)
- Ärzte Zeitung, Ehemaligem Chefarzt droht Bussgeld von bis zu 100.000 Euro (4 February 2011)