Tracheostomy in COVID-19 critically ill patients: a bibliometric and visual analysis

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced acute respiratory failure often necessitates prolonged intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation, with tracheostomy frequently performed in critically ill patients requiring extended mechanical ventilation. Bibliometrics, employing statistical methods to scrutinize research papers on specific topics mathematically, has not yet been applied to analyze publications concerning tracheostomy in COVID-19 critically ill patients. This study employs bibliometric techniques to scrutinize publications addressing this topic. Methods: The global literature on tracheostomy in COVID-19 from 2020 to 2023 was surveyed using the Scopus database. VOSviewer facilitated the bibliometric analysis of these articles. Results: The Scopus database yielded 1,268 records on tracheostomy in COVID-19 critically ill patients. Following independent screening by two reviewers, 359 papers were ultimately selected. Michael J. Brenner and Luis Angel emerged as the most prolific and cited authors, respectively. Numerous organizations contributed to related publications, with the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative leading in activity. The Amandela ENT Head and Neck Centre of Singapore and the National University Hospital of Singapore were the most cited organizations. Publications on tracheostomy in COVID-19 originated from 77 countries; the USA was the most active and cited. A total of 135 journals published the related papers, with the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology having the most publications and citations. Co-citation analysis identified JAMA as the most cited source and Brenner MJ as the most cited author among 6,726 cited authors. Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive perspective on the existing literature regarding tracheostomy in COVID-19.