Potential vicious cycle between postoperative pain and sleep disorders: A bibliometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Bibliometrics
• Pain Management

Background:

• Postoperative pain and sleep disturbances form a detrimental cycle, negatively impacting patient recovery.
• This cycle can lead to severe complications such as delirium, cardiovascular disease, and hyperalgesia.
• Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for improving surgical patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze publications on postoperative pain and sleep disorders using bibliometric methods.
• To identify current research trends, dynamics, and collaborations within this field.
• To provide insights for future research directions in postoperative pain and sleep disorder management.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 1894 publications from the Web of Science database (2013-2023).
• Utilized CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix for analyzing publication volume, journals, authors, institutions, countries, and keywords.
• Mapping research themes and identifying emerging areas.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in publications and identified correlations between postoperative pain and sleep disorders from 2013 to 2023.
• Established a global research network centered around the USA, China, and Europe, with leading institutions and authors identified.
• Key research themes include quality of life, depression, and outcomes, with emerging areas such as analgesia and specific cancer types.

Conclusions:

• Growing global interest and collaboration in studying the postoperative pain-sleep disorder nexus.
• The field is dynamic and evolving, with identified hot topics and potential areas for future investigation.
• Bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights into research frontiers and trends for advancing patient care.