Management of the Brain Death Organ Donor: Results of a Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis on Research, 1992-2024

Organ transplant is widely regarded as the optimal treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure; however, the scarcity of organs has evolved into a substantial medical and social dilemma. To gain insight into recent advancements in global research on brain death organ donor management, we compiled relevant literature for a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the field.

We used the CiteSpace (6.2.R3) tool to perform a visualization analysis of the literature on management of organ donors after brain death, which we conducted with the Web of Science database.

Using a time period from 1992 to 2024, we examined annual publication volume, countries, research institutions, authors, and journals associated with the management of organ donors after brain death. The 269 research articles originated from 37 countries and regions. The United States was the foremost country in publishing articles on the management of brain dead donors. Harvard University emerged as the leading publisher in this field of research. We noted the top 3 authors by publication volume as K. J. Wood, B. Gridelli, and T. Kawai. Visualization of hotspots and frontiers encompassed kidney transplant, intestinal failure, graft dysfunction, and organ donor evaluation, among other areas.

Our comprehensive overview of the organ donation management field can serve as a valuable resource for researchers looking to delve deeper into the specific aspects, thereby contributing to the ongoing advancement of brain death organ donor management.