Earthquake-Related Lung Diseases; A Bibliometric Analysis of Publications

Abstract

Aim: Earthquake-related lung diseases (ERLD) can be seen as direct and indirect disaster results. ERLD such as inhalation of dust and particulates from collapsed buildings in earthquakes, aspiration of water and pathogens due to tsunami after earthquakes, pulmonary thromboembolism, infectious respiratory diseases, and chest traumas can develop after earthquakes. The aim of this bibliometric review is to explore the intellectual structure of ERLD publications. Material and Methods: A search strategy for databases related to the ERDL area was developed. 334 articles were accessed in the Web of Science database. As a result of the full-text readings, 152 articles remained, and 152 articles were subjected to citation and co-citation analysis with bibliometric software. In addition to this research, methodologies based on cluster analysis were used to examine the intellectual structure of the field. Results: When the time period of the publications is examined, it is seen that the first publication was published in 1996. When the top three authors are examined, Yanai shares the ranking with 6 publications, Ueda 6 publications, and Kobayashi 5 publications. Japan, also an earthquake country, is in first place with 50 publications. Three main clusters were identified. These clusters are “chest traumas: types, frequency, and medical intervention strategies," “earthquake preparedness and earthquake response capacity," and "respiratory tract infections and an earthquake." Conclusion: In addition to identifying the most influential journals, authors, and countries on earthquakes in the area of ERLD, this research identified the dominant research themes in this field. Our research outlines the area of ERLD, provides an agenda for future research, and contributes to the fact that the relationship between earthquakes and pulmonary diseases is studied more deeply.