Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis of Global Evolution of Research in Lung Ultrasound: A Rapidly Developing Field

Abstract

Background:: Lung ultrasound (LUS) is gaining recognition as an indispensable diagnostic tool in critical care. Objective:: To characterize the global research landscape and trend of LUS with quantification and visualization approaches. Methods:: Documents related to LUS published between 2007 and 2021 were selected from Web of Science Core Collection and identified. Visualization and statistical analysis were conducted with the VOSviewer 1.6.18, CiteSpace 5.7.R5, and Bibliometrix 4.1.0 Package, including analysis of the trend of global publications, prominent countries, active institutions and funding agencies, key authors and journals, co-cited references, and keywords. Results:: A total of 2,206 publications including 1796 articles and 410 reviews were retrieved. The output of LUS research has increased steadily over the years, especially after 2018. The United States (n=584; 26.47%) showed the highest output, and the country with the highest total citations was Italy (cited 16567 times). The most influential author was Volpicelli Giovanni with 47 documents, who worked at the San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital. Chest and Intensive Care Medicine with high citations and impact factor scores were the most influential journals. Besides "lung ultrasonography", the keywords had been developed in "coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)", "acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)", and "acute heart failure". Conclusion:: Research output has increased steadily at LUS, especially after 2018. The United States and Western Europe are staying ahead in this field. Research collaboration still needs to be strengthened. This comprehensive analysis presents the global research landscape and trends of LUS research, providing valuable information for researchers to pursue further exploration.