Title: Association between hematocrit and mortality in critically ill patients with acute
pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort study
Version: 1 Date: 22 Jan 2025
Reviewer:  Mohammad Reza Hatamnejad
Reviewer's report:
“Peer-reviewed report”
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a peer review for this article on " Association between
hematocrit and mortality in critically ill patients with acute pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort
study." This retrospective cohort evaluated data of patients with acute pancreatitis who were
admitted in ICU and authors aimed to determine whether hematocrit (HCT) can predict mortality
in these patients.
Here are some comments that may help authors to boost the paper's quality:
1. To enhance clarity, it would be beneficial to include “all-cause mortality” in the title.
Additionally, specifying “short-term all-cause mortality” could provide further precision.
2. In the background section, the authors primarily discuss the debate surrounding the prognostic
utility of elevated HCT levels. However, the paper appears to focus more on determining both
high and low prognostic HCT levels. To provide a more balanced perspective in the background
section, the authors should consider including some contrasting data regarding the prognostic
significance of low HCT levels.
3. A U-shaped relationship between HCT and all-cause mortality has been observed in the
general population. The authors could compare their findings to the study by Boffetta et al. (“A
U-shaped relationship between haematocrit and mortality in a large prospective cohort study,”
Int J Epidemiol. 2013 Apr;42(2):601-15. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyt013. PMID: 23569195; PMCID:
PMC3619954).
4. In the discussion section, the authors should attempt to explain why no significant relationship
was found between HCT and GCS/OASIS scores. Addressing this gap could strengthen the
interpretation of their results.
5. In the discussion section, the author can include a mechanistic explanation of how patients
with acute pancreatitis could develop both low and high HCT levels.
The topic has been discussed for many years; however, the novelty of the present paper is
clarifying how both extremely low and high HCT predict all-cause mortality. The authors used
robust statistical analysis and modeling in this investigation and properly discussed the debate,
application of the present study, future direction, and the study’s strengths and limitations. The
paper can merit publication after editing the mentioned comments.
Title: Association between hematocrit and mortality in critically ill patients with acute
pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort study
Version: 1 Date: 22 Jan 2025
Reviewer:  Mohammad Reza Hatamnejad
Reviewer's report:
“Peer-reviewed report”
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a peer review for this article on " Association between
hematocrit and mortality in critically ill patients with acute pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort
study." This retrospective cohort evaluated data of patients with acute pancreatitis who were
admitted in ICU and authors aimed to determine whether hematocrit (HCT) can predict mortality
in these patients.
Here are some comments that may help authors to boost the paper's quality:
1. To enhance clarity, it would be beneficial to include “all-cause mortality” in the title.
Additionally, specifying “short-term all-cause mortality” could provide further precision.
2. In the background section, the authors primarily discuss the debate surrounding the prognostic
utility of elevated HCT levels. However, the paper appears to focus more on determining both
high and low prognostic HCT levels. To provide a more balanced perspective in the background
section, the authors should consider including some contrasting data regarding the prognostic
significance of low HCT levels.
3. A U-shaped relationship between HCT and all-cause mortality has been observed in the
general population. The authors could compare their findings to the study by Boffetta et al. (“A
U-shaped relationship between haematocrit and mortality in a large prospective cohort study,”
Int J Epidemiol. 2013 Apr;42(2):601-15. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyt013. PMID: 23569195; PMCID:
PMC3619954).
4. In the discussion section, the authors should attempt to explain why no significant relationship
was found between HCT and GCS/OASIS scores. Addressing this gap could strengthen the
interpretation of their results.
5. In the discussion section, the author can include a mechanistic explanation of how patients
with acute pancreatitis could develop both low and high HCT levels.
The topic has been discussed for many years; however, the novelty of the present paper is
clarifying how both extremely low and high HCT predict all-cause mortality. The authors used
robust statistical analysis and modeling in this investigation and properly discussed the debate,
application of the present study, future direction, and the study’s strengths and limitations. The
paper can merit publication after editing the mentioned comments.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Association between hematocrit and mortality in critically ill patients with acute
pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort study
Version: 1 Date: 22 Jan 2025
Reviewer:  Mohammad Reza Hatamnejad
Reviewer's report:
“Peer-reviewed report”
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a peer review for this article on " Association between
hematocrit and mortality in critically ill patients with acute pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort
study." This retrospective cohort evaluated data of patients with acute pancreatitis who were
admitted in ICU and authors aimed to determine whether hematocrit (HCT) can predict mortality
in these patients.
Here are some comments that may help authors to boost the paper's quality:
1. To enhance clarity, it would be beneficial to include “all-cause mortality” in the title.
Additionally, specifying “short-term all-cause mortality” could provide further precision.
2. In the background section, the authors primarily discuss the debate surrounding the prognostic
utility of elevated HCT levels. However, the paper appears to focus more on determining both
high and low prognostic HCT levels. To provide a more balanced perspective in the background
section, the authors should consider including some contrasting data regarding the prognostic
significance of low HCT levels.
3. A U-shaped relationship between HCT and all-cause mortality has been observed in the
general population. The authors could compare their findings to the study by Boffetta et al. (“A
U-shaped relationship between haematocrit and mortality in a large prospective cohort study,”
Int J Epidemiol. 2013 Apr;42(2):601-15. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyt013. PMID: 23569195; PMCID:
PMC3619954).
4. In the discussion section, the authors should attempt to explain why no significant relationship
was found between HCT and GCS/OASIS scores. Addressing this gap could strengthen the
interpretation of their results.
5. In the discussion section, the author can include a mechanistic explanation of how patients
with acute pancreatitis could develop both low and high HCT levels.
The topic has been discussed for many years; however, the novelty of the present paper is
clarifying how both extremely low and high HCT predict all-cause mortality. The authors used
robust statistical analysis and modeling in this investigation and properly discussed the debate,
application of the present study, future direction, and the study’s strengths and limitations. The
paper can merit publication after editing the mentioned comments.
assistant