Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

In a March 2008 blog entry the Dewey editorial team and the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) sought advice about treatment of pediatrics and adolescent medicine in DDC.  Here is an excerpt from the blog:

The scope of 618.92 Pediatrics is defined by the first three notes in the entry:

Medicine for infants and children up to puberty

Class here comprehensive works on child and adolescent medicine

For medicine for young people who have reached puberty, see 616.00835

The problem is that many other definitions of the scope of pediatrics include young people past puberty.

. . . . .

Is the broader definition of pediatrics that includes adolescents widespread in the world? Should we broaden the scope of 618.92 Pediatrics to match?

Responses were mixed.  In the end the decision was to retain the current definition of pediatrics in DDC and provide additional schedule entries, notes, and Relative Index entries to clarify how works on pediatrics and adolescent medicine should be classed.  The May 2009 posting of New and Changed Entries presents the material added to clarify the scope of pediatrics and adolescent medicine. 

Here is a brief guide to classifying works on pediatrics and adolescent medicine.  Works on (1) medicine for infants and children up to puberty and (2) comprehensive works on child and adolescent medicine are both classed in 618.92 Pediatrics.  An example of a work classed in 618.92 Pediatrics is Practical Guide to the Care of the Pediatric Patient. 

Works limited to adolescent medicine are classed in 616.00835, a number built with 616 Diseases plus standard subdivision T1—0835 Young people twelve to twenty.  The extra zero comes from following the pattern at 616.008 History and description with respect to kinds of persons. With the May 2009 posting, the built number 616.00835 has an entry in the schedule, with notes:

616.008 35    Young people twelve to twenty

Do not use for diseases of young people twelve to twenty who have not reached puberty; class in 618.92

Class here adolescent medicine

An example of a work classed in 616.00835 is Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide.

Works on a specific disease or branch of medicine are classed in subdivisions of 618.92 Pediatrics if they cover (1) infants and children up to puberty or (2) both children and adolescents.  For example, works on cancer in children, or on cancer in children and adolescents, are classed in 618.92994 Pediatric cancer, a built number with the Relative Index entry “Cancer—humans—pediatrics.”  The number 618.92994 is built with 618.92 Pediatrics plus 994 from 616.994 Cancers, following instructions under 618.921–618.929 Specific diseases.  An example of a work classed in 618.92994 is Pediatric Oncology.

Works on a specific disease or branch of medicine are classed with the disease or branch in 610 Medicine and health if limited in coverage to adolescents.  If the topic approximates the whole of the number, the standard subdivision T1—0835 Young people twelve to twenty is added.  For example, works on cancer in adolescents are classed in 616.99400835 Cancer in young people twelve to twenty, a built number with the Relative Index entry “Cancer—humans—adolescent medicine.”  The number is built with 616.994 Cancers plus T1—0835 Young people twelve to twenty, following the footnote instruction at 616.994 to “Add as instructed under 618.1–618.8.”   The extra zero comes from following the pattern for standard subdivision notation 00835 Young people twelve to twenty given in the add table under 618.1–618.8 Gynecology and obstetrics.  (Why does the footnote at 616.994 Cancers instruct one to add from 618.1–618.8 instead of 616.1–616.9?  Because that is a convenient way to provide for the full range of treatments needed for cancer: the add table at 616.1–616.9 does not provide for surgery as a treatment and the add table at 618.1–618.8 does.)  An example of a work classed in 616.99400835 is Cancer and the Adolescent.

Comments

[teenage drug rehab]

A medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment of adults. A physician who specializes in internal medicine is referred to as an internist. A minimum of seven years of medical school and postgraduate training are focused on learning the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of adults.

-mj-