Objective To understand the research hot topics of literatures published in the Chinese Journal of Infection Control (Chin J Infect Control) from the initial issue in 2002 to 2018. Methods The quantity, authors, scientific research institutes, key words, number of citations and fund items of literatures published in the Chin J Infect Control were performed bibliometric analysis. Results A total of 2 930 literatures were published in Chin J Infect Control from 2002 to 2018, the author who issued the most was Wu Anhua from Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, funded papers showed an increased tendency. High frequency key words, key words with the strongest citation bursts and bibliometric analysis result of high cited literatures were synthesized to predict that multi-center study on multidrug-resistant organisms would be research hot topics of literatures in this journal in the next five years. Conclusion Chin J Infect Control has become one of the most authoritative academic journals in the field of infection in China, bibliometric analysis directly reveal the hot topics of the journal and provide direction for professionals to select researching topics.