| Trial arms | |
| Study | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Country | Trial involved Surgery | SSI | CFU |
| Al‐Naami 2009 n = 600 patients (data on 500) | Aqueous scrub | Alcohol rub | NA | NA | NA | Saudi Arabia | ✓ Clean and clean‐contaminated operations. Mainly abdominal. | ✓ CDC guidelines | ✕ |
| Furukawa 2005 n = 22 operating nurses | Aqueous scrub | Aqueous scrub | NA | NA | NA | Japan | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ Iimmediately after antisepsis; glove juice method |
| Gupta 2007 n = 22 operating staff | Aqueous scrub | Alcohol rub + active ingredient | NA | NA | NA | USA | ✓ Ophthalmic, podiatric and general surgery | ✕ | ✓ Before antisepsis and immediately after antisepsis on day 1, after 6 hours on days 2 and 5; glove juice method |
| Hajipour 2006 n = 4 surgeons (randomised and tested 53 times) | Aqueous scrub | Alcohol rub + active ingredient | alcohol rub + active ingredient | NA | NA | UK | ✕ Trauma | ✕ | ✓ At the end of the surgical procedure; glove juice method |
| Herruzo 2000 n = 154 surgical staff | Aqueous scrub | Aqueous scrub | NA | NA | NA | Spain | ✓ Plastic surgery and traumatology | ✕ | ✓ Before antisepsis, immediately after antisepsis and at the end of the surgical procedure; finger press testing with agar plates |
| Kappstein 1993* n = 24 surgeons | Aqueous scrub 1 (duration1) | Aqueous scrub 2 (duration 2) | NA | NA | NA | Germany | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ Before antisepsis and immediately after antisepsis; glove juice method |
| Nthumba 2010 n = 66 surgical staff and 3317 patients | Alcohol rub + active ingredient | Standard hand hygiene | NA | NA | NA | Kenya | ✓ Clean and clean‐contaminated operations. Mixed surgery types. | ✓ Modified CDC guidelines | ✕ |
| Parienti 2002 n = 4387 patients | Aqueous scrub | Alcohol rub + active ingredient | NA | NA | NA | France | ✓ Mix of procedures | ✓ CDC guidelines | ✕ |
| Pereira 1990a n = 34 nurses | Aqueous scrub 1 Duration 1 | Aqueous scrub 2 Duration 1 | Aqueous scrub 1 Duration 2 | Aqueous scrub 2 Duration 2 | NA | Australia | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ Immediately after antisepsis, 2 hours after initial antisepsis, 2 hours after subsequent antisepsis; glove juice method |
| Pereira 1997 n = 34 operating room nurses | Aqueous scrub 1 (duration1) | Aqueous scrub 2 (duration 2) | Aqueous scrub 3 (duration 2) | Alcohol rub + active ingredient 1 | Alcohol rub + active ingredient 2 | Australia | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ Immediately after antisepsis, 2 hours after initial antisepsis, 2 hours after subsequent antisepsis; glove juice method |
| Pietsch 2001 n= 75 surgeons | Aqueous scrub | Alcohol rub + active ingredient | NA | NA | NA | Germany | ✓ No detail | ✕ | ✓ Immediately after antisepsis and after surgical procedure completed; glove juice method |
| Tanner 2009 n= 164 staff | Aqueous scrub | Aqueous scrub +nail pick | Aqueous scrub +nail brush | NA | NA | UK | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ 1 hour after antisepsis; modified glove juice method |
| Vergara‐Fernandez 2010 n = 100 patients | Aqueous scrub | Alcohol rub + active ingredient | NA | NA | NA | Mexico | ✓ Clean and clean‐contaminated operations. Mixed surgery types. | ✓ CDC guidelines | ✕ Only 20% of the 400 enrolled staff were assessed for bacteria on hands; data not included |
| Wheelock 1997 n = 25 operating theatre nurses and surgical technologists | Aqueous scrub 1 (duration 1) | Aqueous scrub 2 (duration 2) | NA | NA | NA | USA | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ 1 hour after antisepsis; glove juice method |
