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Thesaurus Comparison (MeSH & Emtree) – Ovid MEDLINE & Embase

How to check for thesaurus term compatibility. An example using the entry term adverse drug event on Ovid MEDLINE and then on Embase on Ovid.

Databases – Combinations

Ovid Training Team

2024-05-08

73 visits

Background

When running search strategies in Embase on Ovid, that were originally designed in Ovid MEDLINE, care needs to be taken to ensure they are delivering the required information as expected. Although there is clear kinship between the two thesauri, MeSH and Emtree, they are nevertheless different in terms of their structure, editorial processing and subsequent operation.

This Focused Search demonstrates how the phrase adverse drug event submitted as an entry term into the Advance Search on Ovid MEDLINE is mapped onto the MeSH term "Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions". As adverse drug event is a “used for” term for the MeSH term "Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions", entering adverse drug event/ , i.e. with a backslash which forces Ovid to perform a thesaurus search, this search expression yields the same result. See lines #1 and #2 in the screen shot below.

Ovid MEDLINE < 1946 to Present >

However, when we re-run the same search expressions in Embase on Ovid, they execute seemingly without a problem and yield results. The MeSH term "Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions" is “understood” by Embase. But, from a returned results point of view, not in the same way as entering the phrase adverse drug event when in Embase on Ovid and have Embase map the entered expression onto the Emtree thesaurus. Compare lines #1 and #2 below.

Embase <1974 to Present>
A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated

Although Ovid MEDLINE to Embase on Ovid searches appear to function seamlessly in an operational sense, in terms of being informationally useful, further assumption checks and testing may be needed.  

 

Search Stategy

"Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions"/

[ Entry term is 'adverse drug event', term is mapped to MeSH ]

adverse drug event/

[ Entry term is 'adverse drug event/' ,i.e. ends with a backslash ]

adverse drug event.mp.

[ Entry term is 'adverse drug event.mp.' ,i.e. runs an multi-purpose fields' search ]

docz.dz. [ Now go to Change below, select Embase and re-run the above search in Embase on Ovid ]

Launch Search

Reviewers

Primary: Michael Fanning

Secondary: Charlotte Viken

Review Date: 2024-05-08

Expiry Date: 2025-05-08

Original search produced by:

Ovid Training Team

Citation:

OvidGO! Portal. Focused Searches: Thesaurus Comparison (MeSH & Emtree) – Ovid MEDLINE & Embase [Internet]. London (UK): Ovid Training Team (Editors); 2024 [updated 25 October 2024; cited 30 October 2024]. Available from: https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/searches/view.php?id=34