Evolution and current state of global research on paediatric resuscitation: a systematic scientometric analysis

BACKGROUND: Paediatric resuscitation is rare but potentially associated with maximal lifetime reduction. Notably, several nations experience high infant mortality rates even today. To improve clinical outcomes and promote research, detailed analyses on evolution and current state of research on paediatric resuscitation are necessary. METHODS: Research on paediatric resuscitation published in-between 1900 and 2019 were searched using Web of Science. Metadata were extracted and analyzed based on the science performance evaluation (SciPE) protocol. Research performance was evaluated regarding quality and quantity over time, including comparisons to adult resuscitation. National research performance was related to population, financial capacities, infant mortality rate, collaborations, and authors’ gender. RESULTS: Similar to adult resuscitation, research performance on paediatric resuscitation grew exponentially with most original articles being published during the last decade (1106/1896). The absolute number, however, is only 14% compared to adults. The United States dominate global research by contributing the highest number of articles (777), Hirsch-Index (70), and citations (18,863). The most productive collaboration was between the United States and Canada (52). When considering nation’s population and gross domestic product (GDP) rate, Norway is leading regarding population per article (62,467), per Hirsch-Index (223,841), per citation (2226), and per GDP (2.3E-04). Regarding publications per infant mortality rate, efforts of India and Brazil are remarkable. Out of the 100 most frequently publishing researchers, 25% were female. CONCLUSION: Research efforts on paediatric resuscitation have increased but remain underrepresented. Specifically, nations with high infant mortality rates should be integrated by collaborations. Additional efforts are required to overcome gender disparities.