MeSH
Medical abbreviation · Medical Research
| Stands for | Medical Subject Headings |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
MeSH stands for Medical Subject Headings, a medical research abbreviation.
Controlled vocabulary of biomedical terms produced by the US National Library of Medicine and used to index articles in MEDLINE and PubMed. Searching with MeSH terms finds articles on a topic regardless of the words authors used.
Example: Searching the MeSH term "Myocardial Infarction" captured articles that only said "heart attack".
Usage notes
First published in 1960, MeSH is arranged in hierarchical trees and updated annually. Indexers, now assisted by automated tools, assign MeSH terms to each article. Combining MeSH terms with free-text words gives the most complete systematic review searches.
Related abbreviations
More medical research abbreviations
- KM – Kaplan-Meier (estimator)
- LOE – Level of evidence
- LR – Likelihood ratio
- LTFU – Lost to follow-up
- MA – Meta-analysis
- MedDRA – Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities
- MHRA – Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- NCT – National Clinical Trial (number)
- NICE – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
- NME – New molecular entity
- NNH – Number needed to harm
- NNT – Number needed to treat
See all 94 medical research abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.