Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Aetiologies and outcomes of patients with a bdominal pain presenting to an emergency  
department of a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: a Prospective Cohort Study  
 
Version: 2 Date: 14 May 2020  
 
Reviewer: Christian Backer Mogensen  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
the authors have responded adequately to reviewers comments  
 
the authors should be applauded for the effort of collection data from a region where our 
knowledge of emergency epidemiology is limited.  
the strenght is the d escriptive part, while the analytic part is rather simple with only univariate 
analysis.  
 
som discretionary comments:  
 
page 6, line  73: HIC, should be fully explained like the LIC next line  
page 8, line 135: 3381 patients in 5 weeks, where the informatio n from page 7 concerning more 
than 200 per day raise an expaection of more than 7000 patients. Please explain (most likely due 
to the inclusion criteria  more than 18 years?)  
page 9, line 152: PUD. explain the abbrevation in the abbrevation list.  
 
 
 
 
 
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.  
 
Yes 
 
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 t he 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 s ome 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 o f 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'  
 
Reviewer Publication Consent. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open 
Access  Creative Commons CC -BY License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b y/4.0 ) if this 
manuscript  is accepted for publication. Any comments that I do not wish to be included in the 
published  report have been included as confidential comments to the editor, which will not be 
published.  If you are not happy for us to publish this  report, please contact the editorial office 
before completing  the review.  If you wish, you can include your name in your published report. 
Please note you must  decide whether to include your name at the start of the process and confirm 
this decision whenev er prompted. If you change your decision later, we will not be able to 
publish your name.  
I agree to the terms of the CC -BY 4.0 license; please do not publish my name with my report.  
(default)  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Aetiologies and outcomes of patients with a bdominal pain presenting to an emergency  
department of a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: a Prospective Cohort Study  
 
Version: 2 Date: 14 May 2020  
 
Reviewer: Christian Backer Mogensen  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
the authors have responded adequately to reviewers comments  
 
the authors should be applauded for the effort of collection data from a region where our 
knowledge of emergency epidemiology is limited.  
the strenght is the d escriptive part, while the analytic part is rather simple with only univariate 
analysis.  
 
som discretionary comments:  
 
page 6, line  73: HIC, should be fully explained like the LIC next line  
page 8, line 135: 3381 patients in 5 weeks, where the informatio n from page 7 concerning more 
than 200 per day raise an expaection of more than 7000 patients. Please explain (most likely due 
to the inclusion criteria  more than 18 years?)  
page 9, line 152: PUD. explain the abbrevation in the abbrevation list.  
 
 
 
 
 
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.  
 
Yes 
 
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 t he 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 s ome 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 o f 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'  
 
Reviewer Publication Consent. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open 
Access  Creative Commons CC -BY License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b y/4.0 ) if this 
manuscript  is accepted for publication. Any comments that I do not wish to be included in the 
published  report have been included as confidential comments to the editor, which will not be 
published.  If you are not happy for us to publish this  report, please contact the editorial office 
before completing  the review.  If you wish, you can include your name in your published report. 
Please note you must  decide whether to include your name at the start of the process and confirm 
this decision whenev er prompted. If you change your decision later, we will not be able to 
publish your name.  
I agree to the terms of the CC -BY 4.0 license; please do not publish my name with my report.  
(default)  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Aetiologies and outcomes of patients with a bdominal pain presenting to an emergency  
department of a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: a Prospective Cohort Study  
 
Version: 2 Date: 14 May 2020  
 
Reviewer: Christian Backer Mogensen  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
the authors have responded adequately to reviewers comments  
 
the authors should be applauded for the effort of collection data from a region where our 
knowledge of emergency epidemiology is limited.  
the strenght is the d escriptive part, while the analytic part is rather simple with only univariate 
analysis.  
 
som discretionary comments:  
 
page 6, line  73: HIC, should be fully explained like the LIC next line  
page 8, line 135: 3381 patients in 5 weeks, where the informatio n from page 7 concerning more 
than 200 per day raise an expaection of more than 7000 patients. Please explain (most likely due 
to the inclusion criteria  more than 18 years?)  
page 9, line 152: PUD. explain the abbrevation in the abbrevation list.  
 
 
 
 
 
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.  
 
Yes 
 
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 t he 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 s ome 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 o f 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'  
 
Reviewer Publication Consent. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open 
Access  Creative Commons CC -BY License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b y/4.0 ) if this 
manuscript  is accepted for publication. Any comments that I do not wish to be included in the 
published  report have been included as confidential comments to the editor, which will not be 
published.  If you are not happy for us to publish this  report, please contact the editorial office 
before completing  the review.  If you wish, you can include your name in your published report. 
Please note you must  decide whether to include your name at the start of the process and confirm 
this decision whenev er prompted. If you change your decision later, we will not be able to 
publish your name.  
I agree to the terms of the CC -BY 4.0 license; please do not publish my name with my report.  
(default)  
assistant