Scientific Mapping of Military Trauma Papers using Co-Word Analysis in MEDLINE

Background and Aim: Military trauma has a ‘multidimensional’ injury pattern and the management of traumatic wounds and the development of related knowledge is essential to maintain and enhance the readiness of military medical personnel. This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the trends and science mapping of military trauma papers in MEDLINE.
Methods: This applied research was conducted using a scientometric approach and co-occurrence analysis. The descriptors of papers  related to the search for the phrase "military trauma" in the medical subject heading (Mesh), which were indexed between the years 2000 and 2017 at the Medline Science and Citation Center, were extracted using the PubMed search tool. Data analysis was performed using the TF-IDF weighting scheme and co-occurrence analysis. Word Stat, N-vivo and VOS viewer software were used to perform scientific mapping.
Results: The growth of scientific research in the field of military trauma indexed on MEDLINE database has a rising trend and the growth rate is relatively stable between the years 2000 and 2017. Based on the TFIDF index, general concepts such as veteran/war veterans, management and casualty wound and words including post-traumatic stress disorder, surgery, depression and fracture are the most frequently cited topics. The results of the co-occurrence analysis in the papers indicate the focus on PTSD, injury type, wound management, combat situations and war experiences such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Conclusion: The thematic structure of the scientific production of military trauma has changed over time and has been dynamically influenced by the problems of the military forces in the area of the damage and experiences of recent wars. The military trauma science mapping tool facilitates recognition of this important area and provides intelligence of the main issues to the users and authorities of military health systems. Given the widespread threat of asymmetric wars and terrorist incidents, the development of the knowledge of military trauma related to the subject matter of this map may prove useful in the military care system.