Reviewer's report
Title:Absence of gastrointestinal infections in a cohort of patients with
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and other acid hypersecretors receiving long-term
acid suppression with lansoprazole
Version: 2Date:10 March 2008
Reviewer: Alan Thomson
Reviewer's report:
Absence of gastrointestinal infections in a cohort of patients with Zollinger-Ellison
syndrome and other acid hypersecretors receiving long-term acid suppression
with lansoprazole
Wilcox (et al.)
This is a well-conducted study with several limitations which are acknowledged
and well discussed by the authors. Their main point, which is of major clinical
importance and which is provided in this large number of unique Z-E patients, is
given in the title.
My comments are of a "Minor Essential Revisions' nature.
1. Abstract. The ‘Background’ statement suggests that it is fully accepted that
“…acid therapy increases the risk for gastrointestinal infections…”, but in fact this
is controversial. Please consider the following in the background, taken from the
top of page 6: “The relationship between proton pump inhibitor therapy and other
acid suppressing medications and the risk of gastrointestinal infections remains
controversial.”
2. Results. Please clarify: the median patient years of follow-up, given as 6.25
years in the Abstract and in Table 2, yet at the top of pg.5 it is stated
“Lansoprazole was given for 2-207 months with a median of seventy five
months…”
3. Question. While there is understandably no control group, is there any
information in the literature, which could be placed in the discussion, of the
number of infection episodes that would be expected in a healthy population that
was followed for 45,862 patient-months? It strikes me that “only one patient
reported any gastroenteritis…” (page 5, paragraph 2, line 8) it is surprisingly low.
What next?: Accept after minor essential revisions
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
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:Absence of gastrointestinal infections in a cohort of patients with
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and other acid hypersecretors receiving long-term
acid suppression with lansoprazole
Version: 2Date:10 March 2008
Reviewer: Alan Thomson
Reviewer's report:
Absence of gastrointestinal infections in a cohort of patients with Zollinger-Ellison
syndrome and other acid hypersecretors receiving long-term acid suppression
with lansoprazole
Wilcox (et al.)
This is a well-conducted study with several limitations which are acknowledged
and well discussed by the authors. Their main point, which is of major clinical
importance and which is provided in this large number of unique Z-E patients, is
given in the title.
My comments are of a "Minor Essential Revisions' nature.
1. Abstract. The ‘Background’ statement suggests that it is fully accepted that
“…acid therapy increases the risk for gastrointestinal infections…”, but in fact this
is controversial. Please consider the following in the background, taken from the
top of page 6: “The relationship between proton pump inhibitor therapy and other
acid suppressing medications and the risk of gastrointestinal infections remains
controversial.”
2. Results. Please clarify: the median patient years of follow-up, given as 6.25
years in the Abstract and in Table 2, yet at the top of pg.5 it is stated
“Lansoprazole was given for 2-207 months with a median of seventy five
months…”
3. Question. While there is understandably no control group, is there any
information in the literature, which could be placed in the discussion, of the
number of infection episodes that would be expected in a healthy population that
was followed for 45,862 patient-months? It strikes me that “only one patient
reported any gastroenteritis…” (page 5, paragraph 2, line 8) it is surprisingly low.
What next?: Accept after minor essential revisions
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
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:Absence of gastrointestinal infections in a cohort of patients with
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and other acid hypersecretors receiving long-term
acid suppression with lansoprazole
Version: 2Date:10 March 2008
Reviewer: Alan Thomson
Reviewer's report:
Absence of gastrointestinal infections in a cohort of patients with Zollinger-Ellison
syndrome and other acid hypersecretors receiving long-term acid suppression
with lansoprazole
Wilcox (et al.)
This is a well-conducted study with several limitations which are acknowledged
and well discussed by the authors. Their main point, which is of major clinical
importance and which is provided in this large number of unique Z-E patients, is
given in the title.
My comments are of a "Minor Essential Revisions' nature.
1. Abstract. The ‘Background’ statement suggests that it is fully accepted that
“…acid therapy increases the risk for gastrointestinal infections…”, but in fact this
is controversial. Please consider the following in the background, taken from the
top of page 6: “The relationship between proton pump inhibitor therapy and other
acid suppressing medications and the risk of gastrointestinal infections remains
controversial.”
2. Results. Please clarify: the median patient years of follow-up, given as 6.25
years in the Abstract and in Table 2, yet at the top of pg.5 it is stated
“Lansoprazole was given for 2-207 months with a median of seventy five
months…”
3. Question. While there is understandably no control group, is there any
information in the literature, which could be placed in the discussion, of the
number of infection episodes that would be expected in a healthy population that
was followed for 45,862 patient-months? It strikes me that “only one patient
reported any gastroenteritis…” (page 5, paragraph 2, line 8) it is surprisingly low.
What next?: Accept after minor essential revisions
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
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