Mapping a Decade (2014-2024) of Research on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Visual Analysis with CiteSpace and VOSviewer.

Background: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) stands as a primary cause of mortality among critically ill patients. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly employed in the rescue therapy of ARDS patients. However, the current status of research in the field of ECMO-assisted ARDS remains unclear.

Objective: This research aims to categorize and evaluate the literature regarding Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), offering a comprehensive analysis of bibliometric properties, research hotspots, and developmental trends within the domain of ECMO-assisted ARDS.

Methods: A literature search was conducted for ECMO-assisted support for patients with ARDS in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 2014 to 2024. We employed visualization tools such as CiteSpace and VOSviewer to explore and assess connections among nations, institutions, researchers, and co-cited journals, authors, references, and keywords.

Results: This study included 1739 publications. The United States leads in publication volume with Columbia University at the forefront of ECMO research. Intensive Care Medicine has been identified as the most cited journal in this field. Alain Combes from France stands out as a key contributor, particularly in his 2018 publication in the New England Journal of Medicine, which is the most cited work in the discipline. Furthermore, keyword analysis identified three distinct research phases: examining complications associated with ECMO therapy, exploring optimal strategies for mechanical ventilation under ECMO support, and compiling insights into the application of ECMO in treating COVID-19 patients and in the development of predictive models for patient outcomes.

Conclusion: Using bibliometric visualization techniques, this study revealed significant progress in the use of ECMO for treating ARDS respiratory support, evaluated the impact of these findings, and outlined potential areas for future studies.