Exploring Global Research Status and Trends in Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Bibliometric Analysis

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Bibliometrics
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a severe, rapidly progressing soft tissue infection posing significant clinical challenges.
• Prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical to prevent severe complications and mortality.
• Despite medical advances, NF remains a difficult condition to manage effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the bibliometric landscape of Necrotizing Fasciitis (NF) research from 1977 to 2024.
• To identify key research trends, institutions, countries, and authors in NF.
• To map the evolution of research focus from etiology to clinical management and future directions.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 3381 NF research papers sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC).
• Text mining techniques applied to identify publication trends, institutional contributions, and keyword frequencies.
• Visualization of research networks and evolving hotspots.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in NF publications, from under 10 annually before 1990 to 228 in 2023.
• The United States, China, and Canada are leading contributors, with established international research collaborations.
• Research focus has shifted from pathogens to treatment techniques, outcome prediction, and diagnostic accuracy (e.g., LRINEC score).

Conclusions:

• NF research is evolving towards clinical management, technological innovation, and precision medicine.
• Future research should prioritize refining diagnostic criteria, personalized treatments, and addressing healthcare disparities.
• Interdisciplinary approaches integrating IT and materials science are crucial for advancing NF care.