Table 2.

Detailed search strategy

Database	Search strategy
Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials	Abdominal wound closure
Medline (PubMed)	Abdominal wound closure AND ((randomized controlled trial [pt] OR controlled clinical trial [pt] OR randomized [tiab] OR placebo [tiab] OR drug therapy [sh] OR randomly [tiab] OR trial [tiab] OR groups [tiab]) NOT (animals [mh] NOT humans [mh]))
EMBASE (Ovid SP)	1 (Abdominal wound closure).af
	2 (exp crossover-procedure/ or exp double-blind procedure/ or exp randomized controlled trial/ or exp single-blind procedure/).af
	3 (random* OR factorial* OR crossover* OR cross over* OR cross-over* OR placebo* OR double* adj blind* OR single* adj blind* OR assign* OR allocat* OR volunteer*).af
	4 2 OR 3
	5 1 AND 4
Science Citation Index Expanded	1 TS=(abdominal wall closure)
	2 TS=(random* OR rct* OR crossover OR masked OR blind* OR placebo* OR meta-analysis OR systematic review* OR meta-analys*)
	3 1 AND 2