Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Clinical Research Centre, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Urolithiasis. 2024 Oct 29;52(1):153. doi: 10.1007/s00240-024-01649-1.
Urolithiasis is the most prevalent benign urological condition, imposing a significant burden on morbidity, disability, and healthcare costs globally. Despite its impact, comprehensive bibliometric analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) related to urolithiasis, which are essential for advancing evidence-based medical practices, are lacking. This study aimed to examine the global research landscape and trends in RCTs focused on urolithiasis. This study used bibliometric techniques to analyze a selection of RCTs on urolithiasis published between 1979 and 2023. VOSviewer software version 1.6.20 was used to visualize international collaborations and perform a keyword analysis of the included articles. The main objective was to identify key research areas and focal points within the field of urolithiasis RCTs. Between 1979 and 2023, a comprehensive search identified 16,716 research articles on urolithiasis. A total of 693 relevant RCTs were found in the Scopus database. The number of publications has significantly increased over time, indicating a strong positive correlation (R² = 0.9303; P < 0.001). China was the top contributor, with 166 publications (23.95%), followed by the United States, with 130 publications (18.76%). Turkey and Iran contributed 44 (6.35%) and 62 (8.95%) publications, respectively. Citation analysis revealed an average of 28.13 citations per article, an h-index of 70, and a total of 19,493 citations. The co-occurrence analysis highlighted current research trends and key topics in urolithiasis RCTs, including 'comparative effectiveness of surgical and laser techniques and patient outcomes', 'medical expulsive therapy (MET) for ureteral calculi and clinical outcomes', 'systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs investigating urolithiasis', and 'dietary interventions and correlations between stone composition and the risk of recurrence.' The bibliometric analysis provides an overview of research on urolithiasis RCTs. It examines global research trends and identifies new developments in the field. Our review identified key research themes, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, dietary interventions, medical therapy for the expulsion of ureteral stones, and comparisons of surgical techniques-areas that will remain focal points in future research. This bibliometric analysis is an invaluable resource for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, providing a complete overview of past and present research trends. Informed decision making can be promoted and guided in future research, ultimately improving management and understanding.
尿石症是最常见的良性泌尿科疾病，在全球范围内给发病率、残疾和医疗保健成本带来了巨大负担。尽管它有影响，但缺乏对尿石症相关随机临床试验 (RCT) 的全面文献计量分析，而这对于推进循证医学实践至关重要。本研究旨在检查尿石症 RCT 的全球研究格局和趋势。本研究使用文献计量学技术分析了 1979 年至 2023 年间发表的关于尿石症的精选 RCT。VOSviewer 软件版本 1.6.20 用于可视化国际合作，并对纳入文章进行关键字分析。主要目标是确定尿石症 RCT 领域的关键研究领域和重点。1979 年至 2023 年间，对尿石症的全面检索共确定了 16716 篇研究论文。在 Scopus 数据库中发现了 693 篇相关 RCT。随着时间的推移，出版物数量显著增加，呈强正相关 (R² = 0.9303; P < 0.001)。中国是最大的贡献者，有 166 篇论文 (23.95%)，其次是美国，有 130 篇论文 (18.76%)。土耳其和伊朗分别贡献了 44 篇 (6.35%)和 62 篇 (8.95%)论文。引文分析显示，每篇文章的平均引文数为 28.13 次，h 指数为 70，总引文数为 19493 次。共现分析突出了尿石症 RCT 当前的研究趋势和关键主题，包括“手术和激光技术的比较效果和患者结局”、“输尿管结石的医疗排石治疗 (MET) 和临床结局”、“系统评价和 RCT 荟萃分析调查尿石症”和“饮食干预和结石成分与复发风险之间的相关性”。文献计量分析提供了对尿石症 RCT 研究的概述。它检查了全球研究趋势，并确定了该领域的新发展。我们的综述确定了关键的研究主题，包括系统评价和荟萃分析、饮食干预、输尿管结石的医学治疗、手术技术比较——这些领域将成为未来研究的重点。这项文献计量分析是研究人员、临床医生和决策者的宝贵资源，提供了过去和现在研究趋势的全面概述。可以促进和指导未来研究中的明智决策，最终改善管理和理解。
