Data of top 50 most cited articles about COVID-19 and the complications of COVID-19

Background This bibliometric analysis examines the top 50 most-cited
articles on COVID-19 complications, offering insights into the
multifaceted impact of the virus. Since its emergence in Wuhan in December
2019, COVID-19 has evolved into a global health crisis, with over 770
million confirmed cases and 6.9 million deaths as of September 2023.
Initially recognized as a respiratory illness causing pneumonia and ARDS,
its diverse complications extend to cardiovascular, gastrointestinal,
renal, hematological, neurological, endocrinological, ophthalmological,
hepatobiliary, and dermatological systems. Methods Identifying the top 50
articles from a pool of 5940 in Scopus, the analysis spans November 2019
to July 2021, employing terms related to COVID-19 and complications.
Rigorous review criteria excluded non-relevant studies, basic science
research, and animal models. The authors independently reviewed articles,
considering factors like title, citations, publication year, journal,
impact factor, authors, study details, and patient demographics. Results
The focus is primarily on 2020 publications (96%), with all articles being
open-access. Leading journals include The Lancet, NEJM, and JAMA, with
prominent contributions from Internal Medicine (46.9%) and Pulmonary
Medicine (14.5%). China played a major role (34.9%), followed by France
and Belgium. Clinical features were the primary study topic (68%), often
utilizing retrospective designs (24%). Among 22,477 patients analyzed,
54.8% were male, with the most common age group being 26–65 years (63.2%).
Complications affected 13.9% of patients, with a recovery rate of 57.8%.
Conclusion Analyzing these top-cited articles offers clinicians and
researchers a comprehensive, timely understanding of influential COVID-19
literature. This approach uncovers attributes contributing to high
citations and provides authors with valuable insights for crafting
impactful research. As a strategic tool, this analysis facilitates staying
updated and making meaningful contributions to the dynamic field of
COVID-19 research.