NLM Classification 2024 Winter Edition Now Available

Scope of the 2024 Winter Edition

The major focus of the 2024 winter edition was the evaluation of the 2024 Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) vocabulary for inclusion in the Classification index. Several additions and changes were made to the Index and Schedules based on this review. All main index headings are now linked to the 2024 vocabulary in the MeSH Browser. Additional minor updates were made to the Index and Schedules.

Summary Statistics for the NLM Classification 2024 Winter Edition

• 10 New Class Numbers
• 4 Modified Class Numbers
• 41 New Index Headings – (38 from 2024 MeSH)
• 21 Modified Index Headings
• 2 Deleted Index Headings

Examples of Additions and Changes Based on MeSH 2024

New 2024 Headings Added to Index by Tree (and Related Maintenance)

Of the 311 new 2024 MeSH descriptors, only 38 were added to the NLM Classification index. Below is the list of 2024 index terms added by MeSH tree category in addition to other relevant classification maintenance done:

Anatomy [A]

• Epicardial Adipose Tissue

Diseases [C]

• Rhinosinusitis
• Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Chemicals and Drugs [D]

• Food Loss and Waste

Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques, and Equipment [E]

• Postmortem Imaging
• Forensic Imaging
• Continuous Glucose Monitoring
• Medicine, Thai Traditional (new number WB 55.T4)
• Non-Medical Prescribing
• Nicotine Replacement Therapy
• Diet, Plant-Based (Changed caption at WB 430 to Plant-based diets (General or not elsewhere classified)
• Geriatric Anesthesia
• Pediatric Anesthesia
• Neuroanesthesia
• Fluoride Treatment

Psychiatry and Psychology [F]

• Coping Skills
• Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder
• Lacanian Theory (Created new number WM 460.5.L1)
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Created new number WM 190.5.N2)
• Mental Health Teletherapy
• Dignity Therapy (Created new number WM 420.5.D5)

Phenomena and Processes [G]

• Dietary Patterns
• Angiogenesis (Created new number WG 502)

Disciplines and Occupations [H]

• Immunoinformatics (Created new number QW 526.5)
• Cardio-Oncology (Created new number WG 470)
• Acute Care Surgery
• Disaster Nursing

Anthropology, Education, Sociology, and Social Phenomena [I]

• Workforce Diversity
• Brain Drain

Information Science [L]

• Brainwashing
• Digital Health

Named Groups [M]

• Psychiatrists (Removed Biography sub-indexes under Psychiatry)

Health Care [N]

• Emergency Room Visits
• Health Services for Prisoners
• Public Health Infrastructure
• Gender-Affirming Care (Changed caption at WB 395)
• Pandemic Preparedness

Publication Characteristics [V]

• Comic Book

Main Index Headings Changes Based on MeSH 2024

Of the 23 2023 MeSH descriptors that were changed, only 5 affected the NLM Classification.

• 4 were modified.

2023 MeSH	2024 MeSH
Biopterin	Biopterins
Soybeans	Glycine max
Tobacco	Nicotiana
Monkeypox	Mpox (monkeypox)

• The index heading for Peas was deleted due to lack of literary warrant.

Table G (Geographic Notation) Additions

The following cutters were added to the geographic tables of the NLM Classification:

• JH5—Himalayas
• JA5—Ancient Lands (added to Historical Geographic Locations section)

List of All Class Numbers Added for the 2024 Winter Edition

New Number	Caption Name	Previous Classification
QU 570	Genetic privacy	QZ 21
QW 526.5	[Immunology] Informatics. Electronic data processing. Computers (General)	QW 26.5
WB 55.T4	Thai traditional medicine	n/a
WG 470	Cardiotoxicity. Cardio-Oncology	n/a
WG 502	Angiogenesis	n/a
WM 190.5.N2	Narcissistic personality disorder	n/a
WM 289	Recreational drug use (General or not elsewhere classified)	n/a
WM 420.5.D5	Dignity therapy	n/a
WM 460.5.L1	Lacanian theory	n/a
WS 462.5.A5	[Adolescents] Alcohol and drug use	n/a

List of All Class Numbers Modified for the 2024 Winter Edition

Class Number	Modification
QW 26.5	Added note: Classify works on immunoinformatics in QW 526.5.
WB 395	Changed caption from "Sex reassignment procedures" to "Gender-affirming care"
WB 430	Changed caption from "Vegetable diets. Fruit diets" to "Plant-based diets (General or not elsewhere classified)". Added note: Includes dietary use of plants in health and disease.
WY 154.2	Added to caption: Disaster nursing

2024 Summer Edition

The 2024 summer version will be published at the end of August 2024. It will encompass the systematic review of the WJ (Urogenital System) and WP (Gynecology) schedules and other miscellaneous updates.