ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common disease that usually progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with high morbidity and mortality. We aim to analyze the trends in ALI/ARDS, and to compare the differences in aspects of years, countries, institutions, journals, etc. Methods: We screened all relevant literature on ALI/ARDS from Web of Science during 2009-2019, and analyzed the research trends in this field by VOSviewer. RESULTS:We had screened 7,890 publications with a total cited frequency of 164,713. The United States contributed the largest number of publications (2,612, 33.11%), cited frequency (81,376, 48.61%), and the highest H-index (107). Journal of Critical Care Medicine published the largest number of literatures on ALI/ARDS, MATTHAY MA published the majority of articles in this field (147), while SLUTSKY AS received the most cited frequency (10015). University of California San Francisco had the largest number of publications (243, 3.08%) among all full-time institutions. In the aspect of clinical research in ALI/ARDS, the keyword "Berlin definition" emerged in recent years, with an average year of 2016.3; in the basic research, the key word "protects" appeared latest, and the average years were 2016.5. The current research trend indicates that basic research is gradually transforming into clinical research. CONCLUSIONS:The United States have made the most significant contribution to the ALI/ARDS field in the last decade. The current research 'hotspot' mainly appeared in clinical research, such as "Berlin definition". In regards to basic research, studies tend to explore the protective mechanisms against ALI/ARDS.