Trends in interventional therapies for pulmonary embolism: a bibliometric analysis of global research from 1994 to 2024

The aim of this study is to comprehensively analyze interventional therapies for pulmonary embolism (PE) and to examine the emerging trends and frontiers of research in this field. The second goal is to provide a scientific basis for the future application of interventional therapies for PE. Combination treatment of PE using interventional therapies is common in clinical practice. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of interventional therapies for PE, a retrospective analysis was conducted based on 1,345 papers on PE and interventional therapies published from 1994 to July 2024, identified in the Web of Science Core Collection database. Data along with the author's name, affiliation, country, journal title, publication year, keywords, journals, cited references, and other cited references, were collected. Visualization tools, including CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and Excel, were used to analyze the literature reports. The number of publications in the field has been increasing annually, particularly since 2020. The United States leads in publication output, with Harvard University and Professor Gregory Piazza the most prolific contributors to the field. Our analysis revealed a need for enhanced international collaboration to further progress research. The research landscape has shifted from clinical observations to evidence-based medicine, with a focus on randomized clinical trials and integration of prognostic analyses. Interventional therapies are increasingly recognized as alternative strategies, particularly for patients with high-risk PE, although the low level of available evidence remains a challenge. Furthermore, randomized controlled trials on interventions for PE are at an early stage, signaling a critical need for bolstered research support in this domain.