[Embase is a central resource for literature search in health science].

PubMed is often first choice for searching health sciences literature. However, even though Embase tends to be overlooked it is an important supplement to PubMed. The present paper provides an overview of the literature dealing with the significance of using Embase for systematic reviews and metaanalyses. Furthermore, the differences in the coverage of the two databases are described and the search process in Embase is presented using examples.