What's New in MeSH

• The MeSH Browser has been updated and is now Section 508 compliant .

• John Kilbourne, MD has been selected as the Head of the Medical Subject Headings Section.

• Due to the ever increasing number of concepts and terms in MeSH, it is necessary to increase the number of unique identifiers available for the MeSH vocabulary. Thus, the length of the unique identifier for elements such as Descriptors and Supplementary Concept Records will expand from 7 to 10 characters. 8-character unique identifiers will expand to 10 characters. These changes will begin for unique identifiers created beginning April 15, 2013. The format of existing unique identifiers will not be changed.

  
  Examples:
  

  Record Type	Existing Unique Identifiers	Future Unique Identifiers
  Descriptor	D064418	Dnnnnnnnnn
  SCR	C578561	Cnnnnnnnnn
  Concept	M0581777	Mnnnnnnnnn
  Term	T837922	Tnnnnnnnnn

• The following changes have been made to 2013 MeSH:

  • The MeSH Heading Tropical Diseases, new for 2013, has been deleted from 2013 MeSH.
  • The MeSH Heading Tropical Medicine has reverted back to its 2012 MeSH content.
  • The MeSH Heading Esomeprazole Sodium has been added to 2013 MeSH.
  • New MeSH XML files with these changes are available for download. These changes are effective in the MeSH Browser.

• Stuart J. Nelson, MD retired on October 31, 2012 after 16 years as head of the MeSH Section.

• 2013 MeSH in XML format is available for download. It is also available in ASCII format and MARC formats.