Post-intensive care unit syndrome: trends and research foci in a bibliometric analysis

to identify the main areas of focus and trends in research on Post-Intensive Care Syndrome, with an emphasis on patient follow-up after discharge from the Intensive Care Unit.

search conducted on Web of Science from 2012 to November 2024. The Bibliometrix package and BiblioShiny platform in RStudio were used to explore keywords, trends and co-occurrences, journals, authors, co-citations, and collaboration networks. 120 articles on Post-Intensive Care Syndrome in adults were included.

the main keywords include critical illness, quality-of-life, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The most prolific authors are Needham D.M. and Sevin C.M., and the most relevant journals are Critical Care and BMJ Open. The United States leads in publications, followed by the Netherlands and Japan.

most studies address a single component of the syndrome, and comparisons between studies are hampered by the diversity of assessment tools. Greater international collaboration, long-term studies, and randomized controlled clinical trials are needed.