PubMed's Clinical Queries page provides search filters that will improve your efficiency of searching for existing research within the database.

Search filters are designed to assist in searching for the evidence related to etiology, diagnosis, therapy, prognosis, clinical prediction guides and systematic reviews.

Refer to the PubMed Help Guide for more assistance with using the Clinical Queries page.

Utilizing Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) will increase your efficiency when searching PubMed. The MeSH thesarus is the controlled vocabulary for PubMed. It provides consistent terminology for concepts covered by the database.

Terms that begin with a slash are subheadings, generic terms used to narrow a particular MeSH. Examples of MeSH/[subheading] combinations are provided.

Each MeSH listed below is linked to its "Scope Note" in the PubMed database. A "Scope Note" provides information on how a particular MeSH is used in MEDLINE, what synonyms it covers, and cross references to other relevant MeSH.

For more information on using MeSH refer to the PubMed Quick Tour on MeSH

TERMS RELATED TO DIAGNOSIS

MeSH

• exp Biological Markers
• Diagnostic Techniques & Procedures: use to retrieve the broadest articles only; don't explode (exp)
• exp Mass Screening
• Predictive Value of Tests
• exp Radiography: use this MeSH for x-ray examinations. The MeSH X-Rays refers to electromagnetic radiation itself.
• Radionuclide Imaging
• exp "Sensitivity & Specificity"
• exp Tumor Markers, Biological
• exp Ultrasonography

Subheadings

• /bl [Blood]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Hypercholesterolemia/bl [Blood])
• /cf [Cerebrospinal Fluid]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Meningitis/cf [Cerebrospinal Fluid])
• /du [Diagnostic Use]: use with chemical compounds, drugs, and physical agents (e.g., exp CONTRAST MEDIA/du [Diagnostic Use])
• /pa [Pathology]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Liver Neoplasms/pa [Pathology])
• /pc [Prevention & Control]: use with a specific disease MeSH for mass screening (e.g., exp Lung Neoplasms/pc [Prevention & Control])
• /ra [Radiography]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Hip Fractures/ra [Radiography])
• /ri [Radionuclide Imaging]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Thyroid Neoplasms/ri [Radionuclide Imaging])
• /us [Ultrasonography]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Ovarian Neoplasms/us [Ultrasonography])
• /ur [Urine]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Bacterial Infections/ur [Urine])

Differential & Physical Diagnosis

MeSH

• Diagnosis, Differential
• Diagnostic Techniques & Procedures: use to retrieve the broadest articles only; don't explode (exp)
• Medical History Taking
• exp Physical Examination
• Predictive Value of Tests
• exp "Sensitivity & Specificity"
• exp "Signs & Symptoms"

Subheadings

• /di [Diagnosis]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Dermatitis, Contact/di [Diagnosis]). Excludes mass screening, radiographic diagnosis, scintigraphic diagnosis and ultrasonic diagnosis, for which specific subheadings exist.

TERMS RELATED TO THERAPY

Drug Therapy

MeSH

• Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic
• exp Dosage Forms
• exp Drug Administration Routes
• exp Drug Administration Schedule
• Drug Dose-Response Relationship
• exp Drug Therapy
• exp Drug Therapy, Combination

Subheadings

• /dt [Drug Therapy]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/dt [Drug Therapy])
• /tu [Therapuetic Use]: use with drugs, biological preparations, and physical agents (e.g., exp PHENOBARBITAL/tu [Therapeutic Use])

Other Therapies

MeSH

• exp Combined Modality Therapy
• exp Diet Therapy
• exp Exercise Therapy
• exp Radiotherapy
• exp Rehabilitation
• exp Surgical Procedures, Operative

Subheadings

• /dh [Diet Therapy]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2/dh [Diet Therapy])
• /pc [Prevention & Control]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Coronary Arteriosclerosis/pc [Prevention & Control])
• /ra [Radiotherapy]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g. exp Bone Neoplasms/rt [Radiotherapy])
• /re [Rehabilitation]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Cerebrovascular Accident/rh [Rehabilitation])
• /su [Surgery]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp Myopia/su [Surgery]); excludes transplantion
• /th [Therapy]: use with a specific disease MeSH (e.g., exp ANXIETY DISORDERS/th [Therapy]); excludes drug therapy, diet therapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, for which specific subheadings exist. Also used for articles dealing with multiple therapies.
• /tu [Therapuetic Use]: use with drugs, biological preparations, and physical agents (e.g., exp Ginkgo biloba/tu [Therapeutic Use])

Treatment Outcomes

• Recovery of Function
• Recurrence
• Remission Induction
• Time Factors
• exp Treatment Outcome
  • Treatment Failure

TERMS RELATED TO PROGNOSIS 

• Life Expectancy
• Mortality
• exp Prognosis
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Medical Futility
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • exp Treatment Outcome
    • Treatment Failure
• Quality of Life
• Quality-Adjusted Life Year
• Recovery of Function
• Recurrence
• Remission Induction
• Sex Factors
• exp Survival
• Time Factors

TERMS RELATED TO ETIOLOGY/HARM

MeSH

• Disease Susceptibility
• exp Drug Hypersensitivity
• exp Drug Interactions
• exp Environmental Pollution
• exp Occupational Diseases
• Polypharmacy
• exp Risk
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
• Sex Factors
• exp Teratogens
• Time Factors

Subheadings

• /ae [Adverse Effects]: use with drugs, chemicals, or biological agents in accepted dosage - or with physical agents or manufactured products in normal usage (e.g. exp Plants, Genetically Modified/ae [Adverse Effects])

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