NOVEL COPPER-LOADED DRESSING FOR WOUND HEALING: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

Introduction. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of patients requiring wound care. The attention is on the time required for wound healing and the growing risk of antibiotic resistance. The 2022 Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) report highlights alarming resistance rates among common bacterial pathogens. Thus, it is important to emphasize new alternative methods of wound care to address antibiotic resistance. Metal-based nanoparticles, such as copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), are a promising material for tissue regeneration and preventing the development of antibiotic resistance of microorganisms. The aim is a bibliographic analysis of data on the use of copper nanoparticles as an antimicrobial agent for wound healing (and for other medical purposes). Materials and methods. The authors searched for information in electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using the main keywords. Tools for bibliometrics network visualization (VOSviewer) were used in the analysis. Results. We studied 142 publications in the Scopus database, where the main keywords were “copper nanoparticles” and “wound healing”. The results show that over the past 14 years, the number of publications on the research topic has begun to increase. The subject is mostly studied by researchers from China, India, and the USA, which indicates the relevance of the current subject among the scientists. From 2010 to 2024, a bibliometric analysis on the Scopus database identified four chronological stages based on keywords: 1) synthesis of copper nanoparticles and description of the antimicrobial properties; 2) antibacterial activity in wound healing; 3) inception of new biomaterials to wound care. Thus, copper nanoparticles and their properties are actively studied. The ability of CuNPs to inhibit bacterial growth and promote angiogenesis can be used in wound healing and added to dressings to stimulate tissue regeneration.