Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: A practical guide for probiotics applied to the case of antibiotic -associated diarrhea in The 
Netherlands  
 
Version: 1 Date: 25 Apr 2018  
 
Reviewer: Lynne Vernice McFarland  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
An excellent revision from the original. much better now.  
Only scientific error is that newer articles now document that the product Bio -K+ contains three 
(not two) strains of Lactobacillus.  
This reported in Auclair J, Frappier M and Millette M. 2015 Clinical Infectious Disease. Newer 
identification assays found a third strain of Lactobacilli was present in their product from the 
beginning (so older studies only reported two strains). However, since it's 2018 and this article 
has been in print for three years, it should have come up in their search!  
Please do this last correction.  
Thanks  
Are the m ethods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are th e conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscr ipt: 
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may  in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either n ow or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating t o the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing int erests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
Speaker fees from Lallemand, Bio -K+ and Biocodex. Board of Scientific Advisors (Biok+ and  
Biocodex).  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name wil l be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses.  I agree for my report to be made available und er an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do  not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the  editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: A practical guide for probiotics applied to the case of antibiotic -associated diarrhea in The 
Netherlands  
 
Version: 1 Date: 25 Apr 2018  
 
Reviewer: Lynne Vernice McFarland  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
An excellent revision from the original. much better now.  
Only scientific error is that newer articles now document that the product Bio -K+ contains three 
(not two) strains of Lactobacillus.  
This reported in Auclair J, Frappier M and Millette M. 2015 Clinical Infectious Disease. Newer 
identification assays found a third strain of Lactobacilli was present in their product from the 
beginning (so older studies only reported two strains). However, since it's 2018 and this article 
has been in print for three years, it should have come up in their search!  
Please do this last correction.  
Thanks  
Are the m ethods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are th e conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscr ipt: 
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may  in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either n ow or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating t o the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing int erests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
Speaker fees from Lallemand, Bio -K+ and Biocodex. Board of Scientific Advisors (Biok+ and  
Biocodex).  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name wil l be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses.  I agree for my report to be made available und er an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do  not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the  editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: A practical guide for probiotics applied to the case of antibiotic -associated diarrhea in The 
Netherlands  
 
Version: 1 Date: 25 Apr 2018  
 
Reviewer: Lynne Vernice McFarland  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
An excellent revision from the original. much better now.  
Only scientific error is that newer articles now document that the product Bio -K+ contains three 
(not two) strains of Lactobacillus.  
This reported in Auclair J, Frappier M and Millette M. 2015 Clinical Infectious Disease. Newer 
identification assays found a third strain of Lactobacilli was present in their product from the 
beginning (so older studies only reported two strains). However, since it's 2018 and this article 
has been in print for three years, it should have come up in their search!  
Please do this last correction.  
Thanks  
Are the m ethods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are th e conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscr ipt: 
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may  in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either n ow or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating t o the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing int erests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
Speaker fees from Lallemand, Bio -K+ and Biocodex. Board of Scientific Advisors (Biok+ and  
Biocodex).  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name wil l be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses.  I agree for my report to be made available und er an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do  not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the  editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant