Reviewer's report
Title:The impact of laxative use upon symptoms in patients with proven slow
transit constipation: Are infrequent hard stools a reality?
Version: 1Date:12 July 2011
Reviewer: Yasuko Maeda
Reviewer's report:
This is a well written paper on a difficult topic.
A few things that need further explanation.
1. Some of the patients appear to have had bowel openings on daily basis which
does not fulfill Rome III criteria. Was this a cohort of the patients considered for
SNS then you selected those with slow constipation on scintigraphy? The
inclusion crieria is not entirely clear.
2. Was any patient using enema or suppository for evacuation difficulties?
3. What about data on hard stools also? This should be presented to give clearer
picture on association between hard/soft stool and laxatives.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:The impact of laxative use upon symptoms in patients with proven slow
transit constipation: Are infrequent hard stools a reality?
Version: 1Date:12 July 2011
Reviewer: Yasuko Maeda
Reviewer's report:
This is a well written paper on a difficult topic.
A few things that need further explanation.
1. Some of the patients appear to have had bowel openings on daily basis which
does not fulfill Rome III criteria. Was this a cohort of the patients considered for
SNS then you selected those with slow constipation on scintigraphy? The
inclusion crieria is not entirely clear.
2. Was any patient using enema or suppository for evacuation difficulties?
3. What about data on hard stools also? This should be presented to give clearer
picture on association between hard/soft stool and laxatives.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:The impact of laxative use upon symptoms in patients with proven slow
transit constipation: Are infrequent hard stools a reality?
Version: 1Date:12 July 2011
Reviewer: Yasuko Maeda
Reviewer's report:
This is a well written paper on a difficult topic.
A few things that need further explanation.
1. Some of the patients appear to have had bowel openings on daily basis which
does not fulfill Rome III criteria. Was this a cohort of the patients considered for
SNS then you selected those with slow constipation on scintigraphy? The
inclusion crieria is not entirely clear.
2. Was any patient using enema or suppository for evacuation difficulties?
3. What about data on hard stools also? This should be presented to give clearer
picture on association between hard/soft stool and laxatives.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
assistant