Global research trends and emerging fronts in refractory and macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: a bibliometric analysis (2000 2025)
- 1Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University
Abstract
BackgroundRefractory and macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) has emerged as a major challenge in pediatric respiratory medicine, amplified by the post-2023 resurgence. However, a systematic overview of the research landscape specific to treatment-refractory and drug-resistant disease in children remains lacking.
MethodsResearch articles and reviews on pediatric refractory or macrolide-resistant MPP published between 2000 and 2025 were retrieved from OpenAlex using Boolean searches. After screening, 2,286 records were quantitatively analyzed for annual output, contributing countries/institutions, thematic clusters, and citation-burst dynamics using Python.
ResultsAnnual publications grew exponentially, with a pronounced surge after 2023 (n=378 in 2025). China produced the highest volume (45.1%) but recorded fewer citations per publication than the US, Japan, and Canada. The literature resolved into four clusters: macrolide resistance/molecular basis, epidemiology, etiology/co-infection, and refractory disease management. Burst analysis showed an evolution from earlier fronts like 23S rRNA mutations and azithromycin to recent emerging trends like pandemic-related co-circulation, genotype surveillance, and co-infection.
ConclusionsResearch on pediatric refractory and resistant MPP is expanding rapidly, shifting in emphasis from etiologic descriptions toward resistance mechanisms and clinical management. Standardizing the treatment of macrolide-unresponsive disease and post-pandemic epidemiological surveillance represent the principal directions for future work.
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BibTeX
@misc{li2026global,
title = {{Global research trends and emerging fronts in refractory and macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: a bibliometric analysis (2000 2025)}},
author = {D. Li and H. Chen and C. Shen},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.25.26361371},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.25.26361371v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Global research trends and emerging fronts in refractory and macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: a bibliometric analysis (2000 2025)
AU - D. Li
AU - H. Chen
AU - C. Shen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/25
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.25.26361371
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.25.26361371v1
AB - BackgroundRefractory and macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) has emerged as a major challenge in pediatric respiratory medicine, amplified by the post-2023 resurgence. However, a systematic overview of the research landscape specific to treatment-refractory and drug-resistant disease in children remains lacking. MethodsResearch articles and reviews on pediatric refractory or macrolide-resistant MPP published between 2000 and 2025 were retrieved from OpenAlex using Boolean searches. After screening, 2,286 records were quantitatively analyzed for annual output, contributing countries/institutions, thematic clusters, and citation-burst dynamics using Python. ResultsAnnual publications grew exponentially, with a pronounced surge after 2023 (n=378 in 2025). China produced the highest volume (45.1%) but recorded fewer citations per publication than the US, Japan, and Canada. The literature resolved into four clusters: macrolide resistance/molecular basis, epidemiology, etiology/co-infection, and refractory disease management. Burst analysis showed an evolution from earlier fronts like 23S rRNA mutations and azithromycin to recent emerging trends like pandemic-related co-circulation, genotype surveillance, and co-infection. ConclusionsResearch on pediatric refractory and resistant MPP is expanding rapidly, shifting in emphasis from etiologic descriptions toward resistance mechanisms and clinical management. Standardizing the treatment of macrolide-unresponsive disease and post-pandemic epidemiological surveillance represent the principal directions for future work.
ER -