Abbreviations and Short Form Conventions

The MeSH vocabulary provides a number of shortened forms and abbreviations for the convenience of indexers and previously for searchers as well. For MeSH terms containing certain words or character strings, the short form shown may be used as a replacement. The Abbreviations and Short Forms list provides a convenient reference. When two or more long forms occur in a term, all are abbreviated, e.g., HOSP SURG DEP. Other shortened forms are:

1. DF (Data Form) abbreviations:
   DF abbreviations are short forms of descriptors found in the indexing annotation. For example, LDH VIRUS is the DF abbreviation for LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE VIRUS. There is no punctuation in DF abbreviations or other designated short forms.

2. Hyphenated MeSH descriptors and entry terms:
   A hyphenated descriptor or entry term has an alternate form with a space in place of the hyphen. For example, the entry term EPSTEIN- BARR VIRUS may be entered as EPSTEIN BARR VIRUS.

3. MeSH terms with words ending in ' (apostrophe): or 's or with a ' (prime in chemical names):
   A term having a word ending in 's or ' has an alternate form omitting the ending. For example, the descriptor TURNER'S SYNDROME may be entered as TURNER SYNDROME, COOMBS' TEST as COOMBS TEST. Chemical descriptors with ' have an alternate form omitting the '. For example, the descriptor 3,3'-DICHLOROBENZIDINE may be entered as 3,3-DICHLOROBENZIDINE.

4. Omitted AND:
   Terms containing the word AND have a short form omitting the AND and all punctuation. For example, ABSTRACTING AND INDEXING may be entered as ABSTRACTING INDEXING. Descriptors containing only a single noun on either side of the word AND may be entered as either of the nouns alone or both. The only descriptors that may not be so shortened are those in which both halves of the expression are themselves MeSH descriptors and the system would interpret the input as one of the individual descriptors and not the combined expression.

   Descriptors or entry terms containing nouns, adjectives, and the word AND have short forms with the first noun and the first adjective (or vice versa depending on the order in the term) but omitting AND and all punctuation. For example:

   	Term	Short Form
   	FACILITY REGULATION AND CONTROL	FACILITY REGULATION
   	COOKING AND EATING UTENSILS	COOKING UTENSILS

5. MeSH descriptors and entry terms with a word in parentheses:

   A term having a word in parentheses generally has a short form omitting the word, the parentheses, and all punctuation. For example, PROMOTER REGIONS (GENETICS) may be entered as PROMOTER REGIONS.

6. Subheading mnemonics:

   For using a topical subheading in online searching, a two-character mnemonic may be substituted.

	Term	Short Form
	ABNORMAL-	ABNORM
	ACADEM-	ACAD
	ACCESSIBILITY	ACCESS
	ADMINISTRATION	ADMIN
	ADRENERGIC	ADREN
	AGONIST(S)	AGON
	ANALY-	ANAL
	ANATOM-	ANAT
	ANTAGONIST(S)	ANTAG
	ASSESSMENT	ASSESS
	ASSOCIAT-	ASSOC
	BACTERIA	BACT
	BIOLOG-	BIOL
	BIOSYNTH-	BIOSYN
	BLOCK-	BLOCK
	CAPACITY	CAPAC
	CATHETER-	CATH
	CEREBROSPINAL FLUID	CSF
	CHEMICAL- / CHEMISTRY	CHEM
	CIRCULAT-	CIRC
	CLASSIFICATION	CLASS
	CLINICAL	CLIN
	COAGUL-	COAG
	COENZYME A	COA
	COMPLICAT-	COMPL
	COMPOUNDS	CPDS
	CONCANAVALIN A	CON A
	CONGENITAL	CONGEN
	CYTOLOG-	CYTOL
	DEFICIENCY	DEFIC
	DENTAL / DENTISTRY	DENT
	DEPARTMENT(S)	DEP
	DIAGNOS-	DIAG
	DIFFERENT-	DIFFER
	DISEASE(S)	DIS
	DISORDER(S)	DIS
	ECONOMIC-	ECON
	EDUCATION-	EDUC
	EFFECT(S)	EFF
	EMBRYOLOG-	EMBRYOL
	ENCEPH-	ENCEPH
	ENVIRONMENT-	ENVIR
	ENZYMOLOG-	ENZYMOL
	EPIDEMIOLOG-	EPIDEMIOL
	ERROR(S)	ERR
	ETHNOLOG-	ETHNOL
	ETIOLOG-	ETIOL
	EXAMINATION(S)	EXAM
	EXPERIMENTAL	EXPER
	GENETIC(S)	GENET
	GRADUATE	GRAD
	-GRAPH-	-GR
	HISTOR-	HIST
	HOMOLOGOUS	HOMOL
	HOSPITAL(S)	HOSP
	IMMUNOGLOBULIN(S)	IG
	IMMUNOLOG-	IMMUNOL
	INDUCED	IND
	INDUSTR-	INDUST
	INFECT-	INFECT
	INFLAMMAT-	INFLAMM
	INHIBIT-	INHIB
	INJECT-	INJECT
	INJUR-	INJ
	INNERVAT-	INNERV
	INORGANIC	INORG
	INSTRUMENT-	INSTRUM
	INTRAOPERATIVE	INTRAOP
	ISOLATION	ISOL
	LEGISLAT-	LEGIS
	MANPOWER	MAN
	MEDICAL / MEDICINE	MED
	METABOLI-	METAB
	MICROBIOLOG-	MICROBIOL
	MOLECULAR	MOL
	MORTALITY	MORTAL
	NEOPLAS-	NEOPL
	NURSING	NURS
	-OLOG-	-OL
	ORGANIC	ORG
	ORGANIZATION(S)	ORGAN
	PARASITOLOG-	PARASITOL
	PATHOGENIC-	PATHOGEN
	PATHOLOG-	PATHOL
	PEROPERATIVE	PEROP
	PHARMACEUT-	PHARM
	PHARMACY	PHARM
	PHARMACOKINETICS	PHARMACOKIN
	PHARMACOLOG-	PHARMACOL
	PHYSIOLOG-	PHYSIOL
	PHYSIOPATHOLOG-	PHYSIOPATHOL
	POISONING	POIS
	POSTOPERATIVE	POSTOP
	PREGNAN-	PREGN
	PREOPERATIVE	PREOP
	PREVENT-	PREV
	PROSTAGLANDIN-	PG
	PSYCHOLOG-	PSYCHOL
	PULMONARY	PULM
	RADIATION	RAD
	RADIOGRAPH-	RADIOGR
	RADIOLOG-	RADIOL
	RADIOTHERAP-	RADIOTHER
	RECEPTOR(S)	RECEPT
	REGULAT-	REG
	REHABILITATION	REHABIL
	RELAT-	RELAT
	REPLACEMENT	REPLACE
	REVIEW	REV
	SECONDARY	SECOND
	SECRETION(S)	SECRET
	SEQUENCE	SEQ
	SERVIC-	SERV
	SOLUTION(S)	SOL
	STANDARD-	STAND
	STAPHYLOCOCC-	STAPH
	STATISTIC-	STATIST
	STREPTOCOCC-	STREP
	SUBVALVULAR	SUBVALV
	SURG-	SURG
	SYNTHETIC	SYN
	THERAP-	THER
	TOXICITY	TOX
	TRANSMI-	TRANSM
	TRANSPLANT-	TRANSPL
	ULTRASTRUCTUR-	ULTRASTRUCT
	UTILIZATION	UTIL
	VETERINAR-	VET

U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services Copyright, Privacy, Accessibility Last updated: 18 October 2002