Background: Oxygen therapy is fundamental in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and its utilization has expanded significantly in recent years. This study aimed to explore global research trends, key contributors, and emerging topics in oxygen therapy for COPD.
Methods: Publications concerning oxygen therapy for COPD from 1973 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. A bibliometric analysis was conducted employing VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R 4.3.3. The contributions of countries, institutions, authors, and journals were systematically assessed.
Results: A total of 1,977 publications were analyzed, indicating an annual growth rate of 8.43%. The USA led with 359 publications (18.2%), followed by China with 167 (8.4%) and Italy with 115 (5.8%). The leading institution was Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, which produced 98 publications. Key journals in this field included CHEST, leading with 149 publications, followed by Respiratory Medicine (96) and Respiratory Care (87). Prominent authors included Maltais François, who contributed 25 publications and received 795 citations. Core keywords encompassed terms such as "mortality" (201 occurrences), "survival" (151 occurrences), and "therapy" (182 occurrences). Burst keyword analysis highlighted a recent emphasis on "interstitial lung disease" (2020-2024) and "high-flow nasal cannula" (2022-2024).
Conclusion: Oxygen therapy research for COPD has grown steadily since 1973. Keyword burst and temporal analyses indicate a recent shift of research focus from general oxygen supplementation toward modality-specific and context-specific strategies, including HFNC, exacerbation-related oxygen use, comorbidity-oriented management (eg, COPD-ILD overlap), and respiratory failure-related care, reflecting an increasing emphasis on precision and individualized oxygen therapy.
Keywords: CiteSpace; VOSviewer; bibliometric analysis; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; oxygen therapy.
© 2026 Ni et al.