2010 MeSH now included in PubMed and Medline

Each year the MeSH subject headings are updated. The 2010 terms have just been incorporated into PubMed and Medline and there are some new terms which you may find useful.

As well as new subjects such as Influenza A Virus, H1N2 Subtype, new terms have been introduced for Insecticide-Treated Bednets, Mosquito Nets, Climate Change, Travel Medicine, Medical Tourism and Alcoholics. These are among the 422 new MeSH Headings which have been added.

The National Library of Medicine who compile the Medline database do not retrospectively re-index articles, therefore these MeSH terms will only be applied to new items. Check the Scope Note for each new MeSH term to see the Previous Indexing terms most likely used before the new MeSH Heading was introduced.

Some of the 2009 MeSH terms have been changed or deleted. The major changes of interest to School staff include:

• The new heading Eukaryota has been created and added to the MeSH vocabulary. The Protozoa tree was disassembled and the vast majority of newly created taxonomic headings and headings previously listed under Protozoa are now listed under various groups under Eukaryota.
• Hepatitis, Toxic is replaced by Drug-Induced Liver Injury and Hepatitis, Chronic, Drug Induced is replaced by Drug-Induced Liver Injury, Chronic.
• Food Poisoning is replaced by Foodborne Diseases.
• Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn is replaced by Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding.
• Antibiotics, Antifungal is replaced by Antifungal Agents.
• Cyclones is replaced by Cyclonic Storms.
• Cytology is replaced by Cell Biology.
• Mass Immunization is replaced by Mass Vaccination.

Please contact Jane Falconer if you would like advice on how these updates will impact your search strategies.

More information on the changes to 2010 MeSH is available via the National Library of Medicine.