[Characterization of the leadership subject areas in the respiratory field in Spain]

The aim of this study was to characterize the leading topics in respiratory system in Spain through a bibliometric analysis.

For identify and characterize the performance of the different research topics in respiratory system in Spain, we compile the production using a journal that turn out representative of a broad group of researcher. In this sense the journal Archivos de Bronconeumología is the most important publication in Spanish language of this field.

A total of 2198 articles published in Archivos Bronconeumología from 1970 to 2000 were analyzed. In each three decades, we did not found differences except in the productivity index in oncology in the eighty decade and in respiratory failure and sleep disturbance (RFSD) and oncology areas in the ninetieth decade and in the Price index (consumption indicators) in the diagnostic and therapeutic techniques area in seventy decade. When we compare the productivity index of each subject areas between decades, we found a significant production increase in the ninetieth decade in asthma, RFSD, tuberculosis, non tuberculosis infection, circulation, oncology, pleural disease and interstitial areas versus the same in seventy decade, and also, we found significant differences between ninetieth and eighty decades in the asthma, RFSD, non tuberculosis infection, circulation and pleural disease areas. Tuberculosis area maintains an insularity index higher than the other areas. We also found a progressive increase in the insularity index of RFSD, non tuberculosis infection, oncology and interstitial disease areas.

In general all the indicators maintains stable although the more productivity topics were respiratory failure and sleep disturbances, and oncology. The productivity has increased in asthma, respiratory failure and sleep disturbances, tuberculosis, non - tuberculosis respiratory infections, oncology, pulmonary circulation, pleura and interstitial disease.