. 2022 Sep 19;6(5):zrac111. doi: 10.1093/bjsopen/zrac111

Table 1.

Characteristics of studies included in the present meta-analysis

Study	Study design	Country, time interval	CHG (concentration, solution) (%)	PVP-I (concentration, solution) (%)	Reported outcome	Skin washing before use of the two antiseptics		Observation interval	Definition of SSI
Study	Study design	Country, time interval	CHG (concentration, solution) (%)	PVP-I (concentration, solution) (%)	Reported outcome	CHG	PVP-I	Observation interval	Definition of SSI
Berry 1982²⁴	Prospective, randomized study	England, 1978–1980	0.5, 70 isopropyl alcohol	A: 10, alcohol B: 7.5, N/A	Wound infection	Two applications with sterile sponges		3 to 4 days	N/A
Brown 1984²⁵	Prospectively randomized study	India, 1979–1980	0.5, 70 isopropyl alcohol	7.5, N/A	Wound infection	Removal of obvious foreign material present with a clean sponge followed by a spray application of 0.5% CHG in 70% isopropyl alcohol	6 min scrub with PVP-I soap, then painted with aqueous PVP-I solution that absorbed with a sterile towel	N/A	A minor wound infection: an infected wound with superficial, separation (less than 1 cm) involving less than one-third of the incision or induration of the wound edge believed by the surgeon to be secondary to infection. A major wound infection: an infected wound with separation of the wound edges greater than one-third of the length of the incision or frank wound infection with evidence of purulent exudate or abscess.
Veiga 2008²⁶	RCT	Brazil, N/A	0.5, alcohol	10, alcohol	Postoperative infection	A vigorous scrub with antiseptic soap, followed by absorption with a sterile towel and painting		30 days	The CDC definitions and classification of surgical site infections
Cheng 2009²⁷	Prospective randomized study	England, 2007–2008	0.5, 70 isopropyl alcohol	10, 23 isopropyl alcohol	Postoperative infections or wound complications	Scrubbed with a sterile surgical bristled brush for 3 min and then painted		N/A	N/A
Paocharoen 2009²⁸	Prospective randomized trial	Thailand, 2006–2008	4, 70 isopropyl alcohol	N/A, N/A	Postoperative surgical wound infection	5 min scrubbing, then paint		1 month	If a surgical wound drained purulent material or if the surgeon judges it to be infected and opens it
Sistla 2010²⁹	Prospective randomized trial	India, N/A	2.5, 70 ethanol	10, N/A	SSI	Applied in concentric circles beginning from the site of incision to the periphery and allowed to dry before the surgical site was draped		30 days	The CDC criteria
Rodrigues 2013³⁰	Randomized, longitudinal study	Brazil, 2011	0.5, alcohol	10, hydro alcohol	SSI	The skin was prepared in the same manner as it was for the PVP-I group; however, the cleaning was carried out with water and 20 ml 2% CHG soap, and complementation with 0.5% alcoholic CHG	After hand hygiene and gloving, with a compress soaked in water and 20　ml　PVP-I, the area was vigorously rubbed for 5 min. The area was then cleaned with another sterile compress. The preparation was completed by marking the operative area with 10% hydroalcoholic PVP-I	N/A	The presence of at least one of the following signs: fever, without other apparent cause, pain, heat, swelling, or confluent erythema around the incision and extrapolating the boundaries of the wound, pus in the incision site or in the deep soft tissue, or in organ/cavity handled during operation; presence of abscesses or, in the case of deep tissues, histological or radiological evidence suggestive of infection; isolated microorganism from theoretically sterile source or harvested with aseptic technique from a previously closed site, and spontaneous dehiscence of deep tissues
Perek 2013³¹	Randomized clinical study	Poland, 2011	N/A, 70 ethanol	N/A, 50 propyl alcohol	SSI	Had a shower and a bath with CHG soap on the day before surgery, then disinfected twice		30 days	CDC guidelines
Ngai 2015³³	RCT	USA, 2013–2014	N/A, alcohol	N/A, alcohol	SSI	CHG with alcohol	PVP-I with alcohol	30 days	According to Horan et al. 1992 and the CDC
Srinivas 2015³²	RCT	India, 2011–2012	0.5, 70 isopropyl alcohol	5, N/A	SSI	Painted 3 times, around the site of the incision	Painted with 5% PVI-I solution three times	30 days	CDC criteria
Salama 2016³⁴	RCT	Egypt, 2014	2, 70 alcohol	10, 70 alcohol	SSI	3 applications of 2% CHG followed by drying with a sterile towel after 30 and 3 applications of 70% alcohol	Scrubbed that contained 10% PVP-I, followed by drying with a sterile towel after 1 min and 3 applications of 10% PVP-I in 70% alcohol	30 days	Defined by pain, tenderness, swelling, redness, heat, purulent discharge from the incision, or deliberate reopening of the surgical wound
Springel 2017³⁵	RCT	USA, 2014–2016	2, 70 isopropyl alcohol	10, aqueous	SSI	Paint	0.75% PVP-I aqueous scrub followed by 1.0% PVP-I aqueous paint	N/A	US National Healthcare Safety Network, CDC definitions
Kesani 2019³⁶	Randomized prospective study	N/A, 2017	2, 70 isopropyl alcohol	10, surgical spirit	SSI	Before operation, scrubbed at the surgical site by either the CHG–alcohol (2% CHG and 70% isopropyl alcohol)	Before operation, scrubbed at the surgical site by either the PVP-I (10% PVP-I and then with surgical spirit)	30 days	CDC definitions
Ritter 2019³⁷	Prospective randomized trial	N/A, 2014–2015	2, 70 isopropyl alcohol	1, 50 2-propanol	SSI	ChloraPrep (2% CHG and 70% isopropyl alcohol) (CareFusion; Leawood, Kansas, USA)	Braunoderm (1% PVP-I and 50% 2-propanol) (B. Braun Medical AG; Melsungen, Germany)	6 months	Established criteria published by the CDC and the following additional criteria: (1) necessity of antibiotic therapy, (2) necessity of surgical intervention, and (3) positive microbiologic culture of swabs taken intraoperatively
Gezer 2020³⁸	RCT	Turkey, 2017–2019	4, alcohol	N/A, N/A	SSI	Habitanol 1000 ml solution (Kimpa Drugs, İstanbul, Turkey)	Poviderm 1000 ml solution (Necm Chemistry, İstanbul, Turkey)	30 days	CDC definition

N/A, not available; CHG, chlorhexidine gluconate; PVP-I, povidone-iodine; RCT, randomized clinical trial; SSI, surgical site infection; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.