Study	Reason for exclusion
Allie 2004	Non‐randomised retrospective method
Bethell 2003	Literature review, not a research study
Cannavo 1998	RCT: comparison of alginate with gauze dressings for healing of surgical wounds, not of debridement
Capasso 2003	Non‐experimental retrospective chart review
Cohn 2004	Comparison of hydrofibre to wet to dry dressings for healing rates of surgical wounds, not of debridement
De Feo 2001	Retrospective chart review of wound infections over 20 years
De Feo 2003	Retrospective non‐randomised study
Doughty 2005	Management of surgical wound dehiscence and not a research paper
Douville 2004	Retrospective review of managing sternal wound complications
Edwards 1967	Clean surgical wound healing by primary intention ‐ no debridement required
Foster 2000	Abscess wounds
Gliantsev 1996	In vitro study
Gottrup 2005	A review, not RCT
Granick 2006	Retrospective study of patients records: debridement of a range of wounds, including pressure ulcers, trauma wounds and surgical wound complications
Guest 2005	Not RCT: models used to estimate the cost of 2 dressings
Kuleshov 1992	Not RCT: chronic wounds
Moore 2000	Included abscesses; did not measure debridement
Moore 2001	Systematic review
Moues 2004	Wounds treated prior to surgical closure
Mulder 1995	Non‐randomised study; debridement of chronic wounds
Rand 1998	Compared methods of wound closure for dehiscence, rather than debridement methods
Soul 1978	Not RCT: study included a range of wounds including pressure ulcers
Tolstykh 1987	Not RCT: no randomisation method identified
Williams 1995	Abscess wounds
Zeitani 2004	Not RCT: controlled study

RCT = randomised controlled trial