Review for 10.1186/s12876-018-0834-7 (2018)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title:  RED CELL DISTRIBUTION WIDTH AND RED CELL DISTRIBUTION WIDTH TO 
TOTAL SERUM CALCIUM RATIO AS MAJOR PREDICTORS OF SEVERITY AND 
MORTA LITY IN ACUTE PANCREATITIS  
 
Version: 0 Date: 09 Feb 2018 
 
Reviewer:  ORHAN  ALIMOGLU  
 
Reviewer’s report:  
 
This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of red cell distribution width (RDW) in the 
severity of acute pancreatitis, which is a routine parameter and simple to use. The au thors 
conclude that RDW and RDW -to-serum calcium ratio are good predictors for severity and 
mortality in acute pancreatitis, and they advocate that these parameters are superior to 
conventional prognostic scoring systems. The results are interesting and th e discussion is 
satisfactory.  
 
 
There are minor issues that are needed to be addressed:  
 
- The text is too long and contains repetitions of information.  
 
   In the methods section; statements about the exclusion criteria, MM, and comorbidites may be 
shorte ned or deleted.  
 
   In the results section; variables such as alcoholism and smoking are not necessary to be 
evaluated as these are expected results.  
 
- Minor language errors are needed to be corrected.  
 
I congratulate the authors for their successful wor k on an important emergency medical & 
surgical condition.  
 
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 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 manuscr ipt: 
 
Needs some language c orrections 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 fro m 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 rep ort 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 Creat ive 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