Review for 10.1186/s12876-019-1128-4 (2019)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Evaluation of Clinical Risk Factors for Developing Pleural Empyema Secondary to Live r 
Abscess  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Aug 2019  
 
Reviewer: Herwig Cerwenka  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Major Comments:  
 
This manuscript deals with risk factors for developing pleural empyema secondary to liver 
abscess. A retrospective study including 10 patients with empyema is presented; it has several 
limitations (e.g., heterogeneity of treatments/antibiotics), as mentioned by the authors at the end 
of the discussion.  
 
 
Minor Comments:  
 
Page 1: "*Both authors contributed equally to this work" - only one author is marked with "*".  
 
Some sentences require correction; e.g., "Although the PE developed, it could have remained 
unharmed unless changes to complicated one" (page 8, second paragraph).  
 
Page 8, last paragraph: "choledolithiasis" -&gt; choledocholithiasis.  
 
Page 10: "Author's con tributions" -&gt; Author contributions.  
 
Table 1: "peritonitis" -&gt; Peritonitis, etc. - Please use capital letters at the beginning 
consistently.  
 
Table 2: "Rt. Lobe" -&gt; Rt. lobe (consistent with "Lt. lobe").  
 
Figure 1: "He was suffered from chronic chol angitis" -&gt; He suffered from chronic cholangitis.  
 
Figure 2: "(f) Follow -up imaging at postoperative 1 week. (f) Follow -up after 2 months." - 
Which version of "(f)" is the correct one?  
 
Supplementary Material: "and  &gt;5" -&gt; and &gt;5 (one space to be deleted); "Charslson 
comorbidity index" -&gt; Charlson comorbidity index; "peritonitis" -&gt; Peritonitis, etc. (see 
above); "neutrophill" -&gt; neutrophils.  
 
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 the manus cript 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 recommend additional statistical review  
 
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, f ees, funding, or salary 
from an organisation that may in any way gai n or lose financial ly from the 
publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat 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 o f 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 understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is ac cepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
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which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal