What’s new in 2011 DeCS

This article highlights the additions and changes in the DeCS vocabulary in 2011.

 

Overview of Vocabulary Development and Changes

 

·         573 MeSH descriptors were added; the ten subcategories receiving the greatest additions were: "Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins" (196); "Chemical Actions and Uses" (116); "Bacteria" (49); "Investigative Techniques" (49); "Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities" (45); "Surgical Procedures, Operative" (39); "Eukaryota" (33); "Therapeutics" (33); "Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms" (30); "Equipment and Supplies" (26).;

·         54 MeSH descriptors and 162 DeCS descriptors were replaced with more up-to-date terminology in English

·         252 DeCS descriptors had their Spanish version updated

·         266 DeCS descriptors had their Portuguese version updated

·           19 MeSH descriptors and 7 DeCS descriptors were eliminated

·         154 MeSH synonyms were translated to Spanish and Portuguese and 4249 DeCS synonyms were added (of which 1359 in Spanish and 1002 in Portuguese)

·         523 definitions and 462 indexing annotations were updated

 

Totals by Type of Terminology

 

DeCS

2010

2011

variation

Descriptors (per language)

30.369

30.895

536

1,73%

Synonyms (per language, average)

33.556

35.764

2.208

6,58%

Descriptors (eng + spa + por)

91.107

92.685

1.590

1,73%

Synonyms (eng + spa + por)

100.668

107.292

6.624

6,58%

Descriptors + Synonyms (eng + spa+ por)

191.775

199.977

8.202

4,28%

eng=English; spa=Spanish; por=Portuguese

 

 

New Descriptors by Tree Category

 

DeCS/MeSH Tree Category

Number of descriptors

A – Anatomy

32

B – Organisms

62

C – Diseases

91

D – Chemicals and Drugs

166

E – Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment

111

F – Psychiatry and Psychology

21

G – Phenomena and Processes

69

H – Disciplines and Occupations

8

HP – Homeopathy

0

I – Anthropology, Education, Sociology and Social Phenomena

10

J – Technology, Industry, Agriculture

22

K – Humanities

0

L – Information Science

11

M – Named Groups

3

N – Health Care

39

SH – Science and Health

0

SP – Public Health

0

V – Publication Characteristics

4

VS – Health Surveillance

0

Z – Geographicals

2

The total is greater than 573 because some descriptors occur in more than one category.

DeCS 2011 edition is available for online searching through the DeCS Search or directly from the Virtual Health Library homepage.

 

Helpful Links

 

Please consult the DeCS 2011 edition or the 2011 online Introduction to MeSH 2011 for more details. A complete list of new and changed vocabulary is available at these links:

Vocabulary Changes

New Descriptors by category

Replaced Descriptors

Deleted Descriptors

DeCS tree number changes

MeSH tree number changes

Major Tree Revisions

Rare Diseases

MeSH continued the work begun in 2010 of merging the list of rare disease terms maintained by the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) into the MeSH vocabulary. The rare disease terms that matched existing MeSH descriptors were merged with those MeSH descriptors. The remainder were introduced as Supplementary Concept Records (Class 3) in MeSH 2011.

As with all SCRs, each of these rare disease SCR terms were mapped to ("Heading Mapped to") at least one current MeSH disease term to help searching and indexing. For example, Snyder Robinson Syndrome is a new disease SCR that is mapped to the MeSH descriptor Mental Retardation, X-Linked. Both of these terms will appear in a MEDLINE citation if the SCR is assigned by the indexer.

Because rare diseases are defined as having a prevalence of fewer than 200,000 affected individuals in the United States they traditionally received less attention and are sometimes called orphan diseases. Having these terms available for indexing purposes will enhance a more precise retrieval of the rare disease articles and contribute to their identification.

Algae

Taxonomically algae are polyphyletic and therefore the descriptor Algae no longer easily fits into the MeSH trees. So for 2011 MeSH, the descriptor Algae was deleted and its children distributed among the appropriate eukaryotic trees. Compare the placement for Brown Algae:

2010

Eukaryota [B01]

 

Algae [B01.040]

 

 

Algae, Brown [B01.040.050] +

 

 

Environmental Health [SP4]

 

Water Resources [SP4.016]

 

 

Aquatic Biology [SP4.016.157]

 

 

Algas [SP4.016.157.693]

 

 

 

Algae, Brown [SP4.016.157.693.219]

 

2011

Eukaryota [B01]

 

Stramenopiles [B01.750]                        (new)

 

 

Phaeophyta [B01.750.600] +            (was Algae, Brown)

 

 

Environmental Health [SP4]

 

Water Resources [SP4.016]

 

 

Aquatic Biology [SP4.016.157]

 

 

...

 

 

Stramenopiles [SP4.016.157.713]

 

 

 

Phaeophyta [SP4.016.157.713.219]

 

Sex Disorders

Based on the updated classification and new nomenclature recommendations put forth by the 2006 International Intersex Consensus Conference1, the Disorders of Sex Development (previously Sex Differentiation Disorders) trees and descriptors were revised and updated.

2010

Sex Differentiation Disorders [C12.706.842]

 

Gonadal Dysgenesis [C12.706.842.309] +

 

Hermaphroditism [C12.706.842.316] +

 

Kallmann Syndrome [C12.706.842.425]

 

Klinefelter Syndrome [C12.706.842.454]

 

2011

Disorders of Sex Development [C12.706.316]

 

46, XX Disorders of Sex Development [C12.706.316.064] +

 

46, XY Disorders of Sex Development [C12.706.316.096] +

 

Adrenogenital Syndrome [C12.706.316.129] +

 

Gonadal Dysgenesis [C12.706.316.309] +

 

Ovotesticular Disorders of Sex Development [C12.706.316.343]

 

Sex Chromosome Disorders of Sex Development [C12.706.316.795] +

 

Homeopathy

In 2010 the Homeopathy category was revised in collaboration with the São Paulo Association of Homeopathy and the Virtual Health Library in Homeopathy. As a result, the 1944 concepts and their 2476 synonyms are now defined in three languages, adding more information to these concepts. read more

 

Other pertinent articles:

MEDLINE/PubMed Year-End Processing Activities

2011 MeSH Now Available

Cataloging News 2011

MEDLINE Data Changes — 2011

PubMed Notes — 2011

What's New for 2011 MeSH

Newly Maintained MEDLINE for 2011 MeSH Now Available in PubMed

 

From:

Schulman JL. What's New for 2011 MeSH®. NLM Tech Bull. 2010 Nov-Dec; (377):e17. Available on the Internet: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/nd10/nd10_mesh.html

 


Adaptation by:
Health Terminologies and Classifications Section at BIREME/PAHO/WHO

 

Date of update: Janeiro, 2011