EMBASE SEARCHING EMBASE

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1 National Training Course Searching EMBASE SEARCHING EMBASE Joanne McEntee Medicines Information Pharmacist North West Medicines Information Centre

2 Session aims To understand the differences between Medline and Embase. To know that Medline records are included in Embase and understand how this is done. To understand why you need Medline AND Embase. To know how the EMTREE thesaurus is organised. To know how to search Embase. To practise searching Embase (and Medline).

3 Plan What is Embase? (see pre-course material) Medline vs. Embase (see pre-course material) Medline on Embase EMTREE thesaurus Search tools in NHS Evidence/OVID Worked examples

4 Medline on Embase Since Jan 2010, Medline records are included in Embase. On all platforms including Ovid. Daily feed from Medline to Embase.

5 Medline on Embase (continued) De-duplication process Medline covers 2,500 unique journals (and 3,000 common ones). If record already in Embase, Medline record not added, but de-duplication not 100%. If same record subsequently added that is indexed by Embase, the Medline-unique version is replaced.

6 Medline on Embase (continued) Indexing of records MESH terms are mapped to EMTREE terms abstracts are not re-keyworded. All records can be searched using EMTREE or MESH terms.

7 Medline on Embase (continued) Publication type index >50 publication types indexed in Medline vs. 8 in Embase. These mapped to Embase publication type or EMTREE term e.g. clinical trial is publication type in Medline and EMTREE term in Embase.

8 Medline on Embase (continued) MESH sub-headings Medline sub-headings are mapped to EMTREE sub-headings where possible. E.g. adverse effects > adverse drug reactions. There are 19 equivalent terms. 61 MeSH sub-headings mapped to EMTREE terms E.g. contraindication (SH) > drug contraindication (ET).

9 Medline on Embase (continued) Checktags 12 Medline checktags: 8 map directly to EMTREE terms (animal, case report, comparative study, male, female, human, in vitro, pregnancy). 4 are ignored (not relevant).

10 Should you search only Embase? As well as incorporating Medline.. Embase records have more keywords vs. Medline. Embase indexes abstracts from 800 conferences a year (since 2009). Embase indexes articles in press from 1,500 journals. EMTREE twice as large as MeSH. EMTREE includes more drug names and more are added 3 times a year.

11 Why you still need Medline.. Indexing is subjective and the methods differ between Medline and Embase. More subheadings are available in Medline (for all subjects since 1966 vs. drugs and diseases only since 1988 in Embase), allowing a more precise search. Fields, limits and subject structures are different.

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13 Searching EMBASE Controlled vocabulary = EMTREE Uses natural language US spellings rather than British INNs used where possible Acronyms & abbreviations can be used Tree Structure (15) Hierarchy Indexing: Terms added/drug names

14 NICE Evidence Search Click Journals and databases Click Healthcare databases advanced search Type in your Athens password Select Embase.

15 NICE Evidence Search and Ovid software Embase 1974 to date 2 options to search for terms: Thesaurus mapping Browse headings

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17 Explode/Major descriptor Select finds all articles where the term is listed (alone or with subheadings or if a major term). Explode Searches for the term and all the terms below below in the tree structure. exp is put before keyword in results. Major descriptor (focus) Only includes articles where the keyword (descriptor) is the main focus of the article. is put before keyword in results.

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19 Subheadings Two types drugs and diseases Fewer subheadings for diseases than Medline Many more subheading options for drugs than Medline, e.g. diclofenac Can select more than one subheading

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21 CAS numbers No need to use them in EMBASE. Most medicines have EMTREE terms even recently licensed ones. If a drug hasn t got an EMTREE term assigned use free text.

22 Limits Limit searches in similar way to Medline. Differences compared with Medline.

23 Publication types Publication types have their own facet / tree top of EMTREE terms that are searchable. Facet J: types of article or study. Build up your search and combine in the usual way (using BOOLEAN) with other search terms.

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25 Worked example 1 Workshop question 1 Are there any papers specifically about using linezolid to treat MRSA?

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28 Worked example 2 Workshop question 2 Are there any review articles about inhaler use in children with asthma aged under 4?

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31 Worked example 3 Workshop question 5 Is there any evidence that minocycline is more effective than any of the other tetracyclines licensed for treating acne (tetracycline, lymecycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline)?

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35 Getting help

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37 ANY QUESTIONS?