Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: UNINVESTIGATED DYSPEPSIA AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF PATIENTS 
WITH GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS IN DESSIE REFERR AL HOSPITAL, 
NORTHEAST ETHIOPIA  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Jul 2017  
 
Reviewer: Raja Affendi Raja Ali  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Please include all comments for the authors in this box rather than uploading your report as an 
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, 
supporting materials or other aspects of  your report which cannot be included in a text format.  
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.  
There is no mention of ethical approval in this study as patients with dyspeptic symptoms (early 
satiety, epigastric pain) is stro ngly associated with H pylori infection and were patients being 
treated for H pylori and subsequently tested to ensure complete eradication?  Are they invited for 
upper endoscopy and biopsy to exclude gastric neoplasia?  
How's the 'Amharic version' of trans lated and validated questionnaire being done? Any 
involvement of non -medical or language experts involvement? I' m aware that there are many 
cultures exist in Ethiopia and this needs to be explained further in the process of translation of 
questionnaires.  
 
The word ' bleaching' meant to be ? belching?  
How to explain high proportion of H pylori infection among patients with belching with AOR of 
4.7? 
Conclusion is very briefly discussed and need further clarification for example, how to explain  
high propo rtion (48%)of UD in Ethiopia as compared to other countries in Asia. Any similar 
study perform in Africa?  
Are the methods 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.  
 
No 
 
Are the 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 th e 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 manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
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 now 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 recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to 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 interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
'I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will 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 websi te along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under 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 name d 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: UNINVESTIGATED DYSPEPSIA AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF PATIENTS 
WITH GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS IN DESSIE REFERR AL HOSPITAL, 
NORTHEAST ETHIOPIA  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Jul 2017  
 
Reviewer: Raja Affendi Raja Ali  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Please include all comments for the authors in this box rather than uploading your report as an 
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, 
supporting materials or other aspects of  your report which cannot be included in a text format.  
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.  
There is no mention of ethical approval in this study as patients with dyspeptic symptoms (early 
satiety, epigastric pain) is stro ngly associated with H pylori infection and were patients being 
treated for H pylori and subsequently tested to ensure complete eradication?  Are they invited for 
upper endoscopy and biopsy to exclude gastric neoplasia?  
How's the 'Amharic version' of trans lated and validated questionnaire being done? Any 
involvement of non -medical or language experts involvement? I' m aware that there are many 
cultures exist in Ethiopia and this needs to be explained further in the process of translation of 
questionnaires.  
 
The word ' bleaching' meant to be ? belching?  
How to explain high proportion of H pylori infection among patients with belching with AOR of 
4.7? 
Conclusion is very briefly discussed and need further clarification for example, how to explain  
high propo rtion (48%)of UD in Ethiopia as compared to other countries in Asia. Any similar 
study perform in Africa?  
Are the methods 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.  
 
No 
 
Are the 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 th e 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 manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
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 now 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 recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to 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 interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
'I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will 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 websi te along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under 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 name d 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: UNINVESTIGATED DYSPEPSIA AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF PATIENTS 
WITH GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS IN DESSIE REFERR AL HOSPITAL, 
NORTHEAST ETHIOPIA  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Jul 2017  
 
Reviewer: Raja Affendi Raja Ali  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Please include all comments for the authors in this box rather than uploading your report as an 
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs, 
supporting materials or other aspects of  your report which cannot be included in a text format.  
Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.  
There is no mention of ethical approval in this study as patients with dyspeptic symptoms (early 
satiety, epigastric pain) is stro ngly associated with H pylori infection and were patients being 
treated for H pylori and subsequently tested to ensure complete eradication?  Are they invited for 
upper endoscopy and biopsy to exclude gastric neoplasia?  
How's the 'Amharic version' of trans lated and validated questionnaire being done? Any 
involvement of non -medical or language experts involvement? I' m aware that there are many 
cultures exist in Ethiopia and this needs to be explained further in the process of translation of 
questionnaires.  
 
The word ' bleaching' meant to be ? belching?  
How to explain high proportion of H pylori infection among patients with belching with AOR of 
4.7? 
Conclusion is very briefly discussed and need further clarification for example, how to explain  
high propo rtion (48%)of UD in Ethiopia as compared to other countries in Asia. Any similar 
study perform in Africa?  
Are the methods 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.  
 
No 
 
Are the 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 th e 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 manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
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 now 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 recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to 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 interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
'I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will 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 websi te along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under 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 name d 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