Bibliometric analysis of pressure ulcer research: 1990-2009

Bibliometric evaluation provides a method for evaluating trends in publications related to a specific topic. This search focused on pressure ulcer (PU) care; journals and authors with the greatest contribution and impact were emphasized.

Bibliometric evaluation.

Data encompassing the period from 1990 to 2009 were extracted from the Science Citation Index online version. We analyzed selected documents with "pressure ulcer" as a part of the title, abstract, or key words and reported the following parameters: trends of publication output, document types, subject category, journal pattern, authorship, and research in nursing disciplines.

The annual number of articles on PUs grew at a rapid rate, from approximately 39 in 1991 to 259 in 2009. The main subject categories in which research on PUs was conducted were surgery and nursing, each of which accounted for more than 10% of total articles. The United States was the dominant country in terms of volume of articles. The relationship between nurse staffing and PU-related outcomes is currently the major focus of PU nursing research, followed by risk assessment scale evaluations.

We found that the number of PU-related publications has grown at a rapid rate over the past 20 years, reflecting an increasing awareness of the importance of PU prevention and management.