Title: Dose Optimization of Non-Selective Beta Blockers among Esophageal Varices Patients
at University Of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Hospital-
Based Cross-Sectional Study
Version: 3 Date: 17 Nov 2024
Reviewer's report:
1. Under the section titled "Clinical and medication-related characteristics", the authors state
thus: "53.3% of esophageal varices were caused by HSS and 45.3% were due to chronic liver
disease (CLD) of different etiologies" and "Identified causes of CLD were HBV (25.58%), HSS
(20.93%), ALD (23.25%), HCV (18.60%), UNKOWN (8.14%), and others (3.49%)". Please,
is HSS a cause of CLD. If it is, please why is it mentioned separately from CLD as a cause of
oesophageal varices?
2.  Please, define CLD and cirrhosis and clarify if they can be used interchangeably.
3. The results state that there were 86 patients with CLD, and 126 patients with ascites (as a
complication of CLD, table 2). Please, clarify this discrepancy in these numbers.
4. For the multivariable logistic regression, some of the independent variables seem to be
correlated with each other, eg BMI & MUAC; cirrhosis & ascites; lasix/spironolactone & ascites.
The use of correlated independent variables in a regression analysis may render the results
inaccurate. Did the authors test for multicollinearity among the independent variables prior to
performing multivariable logistic regression analysis? If yes, this should be stated.
Title: Dose Optimization of Non-Selective Beta Blockers among Esophageal Varices Patients
at University Of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Hospital-
Based Cross-Sectional Study
Version: 3 Date: 17 Nov 2024
Reviewer's report:
1. Under the section titled "Clinical and medication-related characteristics", the authors state
thus: "53.3% of esophageal varices were caused by HSS and 45.3% were due to chronic liver
disease (CLD) of different etiologies" and "Identified causes of CLD were HBV (25.58%), HSS
(20.93%), ALD (23.25%), HCV (18.60%), UNKOWN (8.14%), and others (3.49%)". Please,
is HSS a cause of CLD. If it is, please why is it mentioned separately from CLD as a cause of
oesophageal varices?
2.  Please, define CLD and cirrhosis and clarify if they can be used interchangeably.
3. The results state that there were 86 patients with CLD, and 126 patients with ascites (as a
complication of CLD, table 2). Please, clarify this discrepancy in these numbers.
4. For the multivariable logistic regression, some of the independent variables seem to be
correlated with each other, eg BMI & MUAC; cirrhosis & ascites; lasix/spironolactone & ascites.
The use of correlated independent variables in a regression analysis may render the results
inaccurate. Did the authors test for multicollinearity among the independent variables prior to
performing multivariable logistic regression analysis? If yes, this should be stated.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Dose Optimization of Non-Selective Beta Blockers among Esophageal Varices Patients
at University Of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Hospital-
Based Cross-Sectional Study
Version: 3 Date: 17 Nov 2024
Reviewer's report:
1. Under the section titled "Clinical and medication-related characteristics", the authors state
thus: "53.3% of esophageal varices were caused by HSS and 45.3% were due to chronic liver
disease (CLD) of different etiologies" and "Identified causes of CLD were HBV (25.58%), HSS
(20.93%), ALD (23.25%), HCV (18.60%), UNKOWN (8.14%), and others (3.49%)". Please,
is HSS a cause of CLD. If it is, please why is it mentioned separately from CLD as a cause of
oesophageal varices?
2.  Please, define CLD and cirrhosis and clarify if they can be used interchangeably.
3. The results state that there were 86 patients with CLD, and 126 patients with ascites (as a
complication of CLD, table 2). Please, clarify this discrepancy in these numbers.
4. For the multivariable logistic regression, some of the independent variables seem to be
correlated with each other, eg BMI & MUAC; cirrhosis & ascites; lasix/spironolactone & ascites.
The use of correlated independent variables in a regression analysis may render the results
inaccurate. Did the authors test for multicollinearity among the independent variables prior to
performing multivariable logistic regression analysis? If yes, this should be stated.
assistant