Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Risk Factors for Complication s and Mortality of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy 
Insertion  
 
Version: 0 Date: 03 Mar 2018  
 
Reviewer: Chen Shuan Chung  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Minor revisions are needed before consideration for publication.  
1) Why was the median follow -up only 354 days in this "11 -year" experience study? Since most 
of the patients with PEG have to r eceive regular tube revision, the follow -up period should be 
longer than your data?  
 
2) Was there routine imaging after each PEG procedure to detect complications?  
 
3) How to decide push or pull types PEG? Such as for head neck cancer patients, especially 
there is higher rate of trismus in this population, push type is mostly favored.  
 
4) Did all patients receiving antiplatelet  agents discontinue medication at per procedural  period?  
 
5) Please present the p value between push and pull types PEG in the Table 1 . 
 
6) How was the failure procedure rate between push and pull type groups?  
 
7) In the discussion part, please explain why CRP level, which is the "acute phase reactant", 
was not associated with acute complications, but late complication and mortality . 
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 the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects req uire 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 competin g 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 fr om 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 received 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 website 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 named 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: Risk Factors for Complication s and Mortality of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy 
Insertion  
 
Version: 0 Date: 03 Mar 2018  
 
Reviewer: Chen Shuan Chung  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Minor revisions are needed before consideration for publication.  
1) Why was the median follow -up only 354 days in this "11 -year" experience study? Since most 
of the patients with PEG have to r eceive regular tube revision, the follow -up period should be 
longer than your data?  
 
2) Was there routine imaging after each PEG procedure to detect complications?  
 
3) How to decide push or pull types PEG? Such as for head neck cancer patients, especially 
there is higher rate of trismus in this population, push type is mostly favored.  
 
4) Did all patients receiving antiplatelet  agents discontinue medication at per procedural  period?  
 
5) Please present the p value between push and pull types PEG in the Table 1 . 
 
6) How was the failure procedure rate between push and pull type groups?  
 
7) In the discussion part, please explain why CRP level, which is the "acute phase reactant", 
was not associated with acute complications, but late complication and mortality . 
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 the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects req uire 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 competin g 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 fr om 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 received 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 website 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 named 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: Risk Factors for Complication s and Mortality of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy 
Insertion  
 
Version: 0 Date: 03 Mar 2018  
 
Reviewer: Chen Shuan Chung  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Minor revisions are needed before consideration for publication.  
1) Why was the median follow -up only 354 days in this "11 -year" experience study? Since most 
of the patients with PEG have to r eceive regular tube revision, the follow -up period should be 
longer than your data?  
 
2) Was there routine imaging after each PEG procedure to detect complications?  
 
3) How to decide push or pull types PEG? Such as for head neck cancer patients, especially 
there is higher rate of trismus in this population, push type is mostly favored.  
 
4) Did all patients receiving antiplatelet  agents discontinue medication at per procedural  period?  
 
5) Please present the p value between push and pull types PEG in the Table 1 . 
 
6) How was the failure procedure rate between push and pull type groups?  
 
7) In the discussion part, please explain why CRP level, which is the "acute phase reactant", 
was not associated with acute complications, but late complication and mortality . 
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 the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects req uire 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 competin g 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 fr om 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 received 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 website 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 named 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