The global publication trend and research development of nerve block: A visualisation analysis between 1997 and 2021

Abstract

Background: Nerve block is a clinical technique for relieving pain during surgery as well as for postoperative analgesia and chronic pain. Here, we analysed the trends in nerve block research and compared the contributions from different countries, institutions, journals, and authors. Methods: We extracted all studies concerning nerve block published between 1997 and 2021 from the Web of Science database. Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer were used to collect publication data, analyse publication trends, and visualize relevant results. Results: A total of 6,437 publications with 111,612 citations were identified between 1997 and 2021. The United States contributed the greatest number of publications (2010), whereas China ranked second (518). Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine had published the most papers concerning nerve block. Harvard University and Mariano ER were the most productive institution and author, respectively, in the field. Keywords were categorized into five clusters: the association between nerve block and anaesthesia or analgesia, local anaesthetic drugs for nerve block, nerve block techniques, nerve block for postoperative analgesia, and nerve block for oral local anaesthesia. Management-related research was a heavily researched topic in the field. Conclusions: We concluded that the United States contributed the most studies, and developing countries, led by China, are also encouraging study in this area. The exploration of new drugs in the fields of nerve block, multi-modal analgesia after surgery, treatment of chronic pain, analgesia for thoracic and abdominal surgeries, and analgesic interventions in oral therapy are a potential focus for future research.