{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Role and Research Trending of Bronchoalveolar Lavage in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.
{Author}: Wei S;Cheng C;Zhong X;
{Journal}: Cureus
{Volume}: 16
{Issue}: 6
{Year}: 2024 Jun
暂无{DOI}: 10.7759/cureus.62583
{Abstract}: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common complications in intensive care units (ICUs) and negatively affects patient outcomes. Despite its widespread use as a diagnostic and therapeutic measure, the application and effectiveness of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the management of VAP require further exploration. This study aimed to evaluate the research dynamics, major trends, and scientific networks of BAL in the diagnosis and treatment of VAP using bibliometric analysis. Literature from the Web of Science database on BAL for the diagnosis and treatment of VAP from 1990 to 2024 was screened and analyzed. Keyword co-occurrence, trend analysis, and citation burst analyses were conducted using CiteSpace to identify research hotspots, core authors, institutions, and countries, as well as the evolution of research domains. The bibliometric analysis included 968 publications. Trend analysis indicated growing interest in BAL techniques, particularly in the categories of RESPIRATORY SYSTEM (burst score: 27.82) and MEDICINE, RESEARCH, and EXPERIMENTAL (burst score: 7.41). The co-citation analysis highlighted influential authors in the field, such as Torres (burst score: 9.35), Croce (burst score: 5.86), and Meduri (burst score: 5.71). Keyword analysis results revealed core clusters in the treatment of VAP with BAL, including "nonbronchoscopic lavage" (silhouette value: 0.703), "ICU-acquired infection" (silhouette value: 0.7), and "ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis" (silhouette value: 0.637). Additionally, geographic analysis showed that North America and Europe dominated the research in this field. Recently, research trends regarding protected specimen brushes and quantitative culture techniques have emerged. This study found broad applications of BAL in VAP management, especially in improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes. Optimized strategies such as improvement of lavage techniques and multidisciplinary collaboration may emerge as potential research hotspots in the future.