Reviewer's report
Title:Reduced lymphocyte count as an early marker for secondary pancreatic
infection in acute pancreatitis
Version:2Date:19 February 2015
Reviewer: Albert Lowenfels
Reviewer's report:
This report looks at the relationship between lymphocyte count and infection after
acute pancreatitis. Major problems requiring attention:
1. About 85% of the initial group of patients have been excluded. This will
severely limit the generalizeability of the information to clinicians. It also seems
likely that the included patients were sicker than the excluded patients because
excluded patients probably had milder symptoms since they delayed seeking
help for 48 hours.
2. The endpoint, infection, is not so easy to measure, and it is unclear how the
authors accomplished this. Another perhaps better endpoint would have been
disease severity.
3. The statistical analysis is difficult to follow and needs professional help. For
example Table 1 compares the non-infection and the infection group and the
listed p-values are the results from univariate analysis. It is unclear what table 3
represents. And with respect to amylase why would it been a significant predictor
in table 3 but not in table 1? For multivariate analysis it is customary to include all
the variables that were significant at the univariate level in the final table showing
multivariable results.
4. Assuming the findings are correct, how will clinicians use this new information
in the management of patients with acute pancreatitis?
5. It is unclear what the vertical bars represent in figure 2. Also the asterisks in
that figure--what do they represent?
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Reduced lymphocyte count as an early marker for secondary pancreatic
infection in acute pancreatitis
Version:2Date:19 February 2015
Reviewer: Albert Lowenfels
Reviewer's report:
This report looks at the relationship between lymphocyte count and infection after
acute pancreatitis. Major problems requiring attention:
1. About 85% of the initial group of patients have been excluded. This will
severely limit the generalizeability of the information to clinicians. It also seems
likely that the included patients were sicker than the excluded patients because
excluded patients probably had milder symptoms since they delayed seeking
help for 48 hours.
2. The endpoint, infection, is not so easy to measure, and it is unclear how the
authors accomplished this. Another perhaps better endpoint would have been
disease severity.
3. The statistical analysis is difficult to follow and needs professional help. For
example Table 1 compares the non-infection and the infection group and the
listed p-values are the results from univariate analysis. It is unclear what table 3
represents. And with respect to amylase why would it been a significant predictor
in table 3 but not in table 1? For multivariate analysis it is customary to include all
the variables that were significant at the univariate level in the final table showing
multivariable results.
4. Assuming the findings are correct, how will clinicians use this new information
in the management of patients with acute pancreatitis?
5. It is unclear what the vertical bars represent in figure 2. Also the asterisks in
that figure--what do they represent?
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Reduced lymphocyte count as an early marker for secondary pancreatic
infection in acute pancreatitis
Version:2Date:19 February 2015
Reviewer: Albert Lowenfels
Reviewer's report:
This report looks at the relationship between lymphocyte count and infection after
acute pancreatitis. Major problems requiring attention:
1. About 85% of the initial group of patients have been excluded. This will
severely limit the generalizeability of the information to clinicians. It also seems
likely that the included patients were sicker than the excluded patients because
excluded patients probably had milder symptoms since they delayed seeking
help for 48 hours.
2. The endpoint, infection, is not so easy to measure, and it is unclear how the
authors accomplished this. Another perhaps better endpoint would have been
disease severity.
3. The statistical analysis is difficult to follow and needs professional help. For
example Table 1 compares the non-infection and the infection group and the
listed p-values are the results from univariate analysis. It is unclear what table 3
represents. And with respect to amylase why would it been a significant predictor
in table 3 but not in table 1? For multivariate analysis it is customary to include all
the variables that were significant at the univariate level in the final table showing
multivariable results.
4. Assuming the findings are correct, how will clinicians use this new information
in the management of patients with acute pancreatitis?
5. It is unclear what the vertical bars represent in figure 2. Also the asterisks in
that figure--what do they represent?
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have no competing interests
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