Many thanks to Jill and Nicole, I think I know what caused it in this case. It appears to be a quirkiness with truncation when field searching title and abstract. In the full search I used systematic* review[tiab] which was not used in the simple search. I took out the * and it worked. I can used an ORed group of the word variations instead of the asterisk. The total results increased as a result of the change. How many relevant articles would I have missed if I didn't have a list of articles to use as a double-check and find this flaw?! Crazy! But I have a little more sanity now. Thanks so much Jill & Nicole. Karen P.S. I still have a weirdness when double-checking a couple of articles when the PMID, but I can at least I can find them by author. -----Original Message----- From: Medical Libraries Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Heskett, Karen Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 11:26 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Has this happened to you? PubMed NOT finding an article in a complex search that it does in a simplified one? Hi All, A little sanity check on this one. I am making myself crazy with this one. Usually I can figure out what is going on, but not this time. I have a complex search that when checked for previously identified "good articles" I cannot find it in the results. However, when I pick just 1 word from each of the 4 concepts, I can find it. Crazy, right? To be specific, if I search there terms, * carotid artery stenting[tiab] AND * carotid stenosis[tiab] AND * timing[tiab] AND * Retrospective Studies[Mesh] I find the article by Topakian R PMID 17539948. See results<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=carotid*artery*stenting*5Btiab*5D*AND*carotid*stenosis*5Btiab*5D*AND*timing*5Btiab*5D*AND*Retrospective*Studies*5BMesh*5D__;KyslJSsrKyUlKyslJSsrKyUl!!Mih3wA!Q_LY07GHyGk7INEaDc5wNw2R8i6jBBFMBRLxquWwc5-vu5PQkRbjgQt5jIFlJr3r$ >. If I search the whole strategy (pasted below) where these 4 terms appear, I cannot find this article even if I search by name or PMID. See results<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=((((((Retrospective+Studies%5BMesh%5D+OR+retrospective*%5Btiab%5D+OR+Meta-Analysis+%5BPublication+Type%5D+OR+Meta-Analysis+as+Topic%5BMeSH%3Anoexp%5D+OR+meta-analy*%5Btiab%5D+OR+metaanaly*%5Btiab%5D+OR+systematic*+review%5Btiab%5D+OR+Systematic+Review+%5BPublication+Type%5D+OR+Systematic+Reviews+as+Topic%5BMesh%5D+OR+(comprehensive*%5BTIAB%5D+AND+(bibliographic*%5BTIAB%5D+OR+literature%5Btiab%5D))+OR+integrative+review%5Btiab%5D+OR+?research+synthesis?%5Btiab%5D+OR+Randomized+Controlled+Trial+%5BPublication+Type%5D+OR+Randomized+Controlled+Trials+as+Topic%5BMesh%5D+OR+controlled+trial%5Btiab%5D+OR+randomized%5Btiab%5D+OR+randomised%5Btiab%5D+OR+placebo%5Btiab%5D+OR+drug+therapy%5Bsh%5D+OR+randomly%5Btiab%5D+OR+trial%5Btiab%5D+OR+groups%5Btiab%5D+OR+Prospective+Studies%5BMesh%5D+OR+Prospective+study%5Btiab%5D))+AND+(Time-to-Treatment%5BMesh%5D+OR+Time+Factors%5BMeSH+Terms%5D+OR+timing%5Btiab%5D+OR+urgent%5Btiab%5D+OR+optimal+tim*%5Btiab%5D+OR+ultra-early+OR+%22early+endarterectomy%22+OR+%22early+cas%22+OR+%22early+revascularization%22+OR+%22early+intervention%22+OR+delay%5Btiab%5D+OR+deferred%5Btiab%5D+OR+30-day*%5Btiab%5D+OR+%2230+days%22))+AND+(Carotid+Artery+Diseases%5BMesh%3ANoExp%5D+OR+carotid+artery+disease%5Btiab%5D+OR+Carotid+Stenosis%5BMesh%5D+OR+carotid+stenosis%5Btiab%5D+OR+symptomatic%5Btiab%5D+OR+Stroke%5BMesh%5D+OR+Ischemic+Attack%2C+Transient%5BMesh%5D+OR+stroke%5Btiab%5D+OR+tia%5Btiab%5D+OR+transient+ischemic+attack%5Btiab%5D+OR+transient+ischaemic+attack%5Btiab%5D+OR+symptom+onset%5Btiab%5D))+AND+(Endarterectomy%2C+Carotid%5BMesh%5D+OR+carotid+artery+stenting%5Btiab%5D+OR+Stents%5BMesh%5D+OR+carotid+Endarterectomy%5Btiab%5D+OR+stent*%5Btiab%5D+OR+revasculari*%5Btiab%5D)))+AND+(17539948%5Buid%5D)>. What am I missing? I had a similar situation with a different article in this search but was able to find it with author name. Any advice? Thanks for any help. Karen Search strategy Endarterectomy, Carotid[Mesh] OR carotid artery stenting[tiab] OR Stents[Mesh] OR carotid Endarterectomy[tiab] OR stent*[tiab] OR revasculari*[tiab] --------- AND ------ Carotid Artery Diseases[Mesh:NoExp] OR carotid artery disease[tiab] OR Carotid Stenosis[Mesh] OR carotid stenosis[tiab] OR symptomatic[tiab] OR Stroke[Mesh] OR Ischemic Attack, Transient[Mesh] OR stroke[tiab] OR tia[tiab] OR transient ischemic attack[tiab] OR transient ischaemic attack[tiab] OR symptom onset[tiab] ------ AND ------ Time-to-Treatment[Mesh] OR Time Factors[MeSH Terms] OR timing[tiab] OR urgent[tiab] OR optimal tim*[tiab] OR ultra-early OR "early endarterectomy" OR "early cas" OR "early revascularization" OR "early intervention" OR delay[tiab] OR deferred[tiab] --------- AND ------------ Retrospective Studies[Mesh] OR retrospective*[tiab] OR Meta-Analysis [Publication Type] OR Meta-Analysis as Topic[MeSH:noexp] OR meta-analy*[tiab] OR metaanaly*[tiab] OR systematic* review[tiab] OR Systematic Review [Publication Type] OR Systematic Reviews as Topic[Mesh] OR (comprehensive*[TIAB] AND (bibliographic*[TIAB] OR literature[tiab])) OR integrative review[tiab] OR "research synthesis"[tiab] OR Randomized Controlled Trial [Publication Type] OR Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic[Mesh] OR controlled trial[tiab] OR randomized[tiab] OR randomised[tiab] OR placebo[tiab] OR drug therapy[sh] OR randomly[tiab] OR trial[tiab] OR groups[tiab] OR Prospective Studies[Mesh] OR Prospective study[tiab] *-.,,.-*"*-.,,.-*"*-.,,.-*"* Karen Heskett Instruction & Liaison Librarian UC San Diego Library 9500 Gilman Dr. 0699 La Jolla, CA 92093 858/534-1199 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> [Description: logo-library-blue-email-1]
