Review Reports

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors emphaze the fact that several pre analytical and analytical phase variables could potentially biais results in the meta analysis published by S Anand et al. For the specific parameter, the RDW, the authors comment the impact of pre analytical or analytical biais, for exemple time between phlebotomy and analysis, anticoagulant type and storage or transport condition. They also reported on the importance of the standardization of the RDW across different analyzers. Most of the study used in the meta analysis didn't precise the pre analytical and analytical phase. This lack is of importance and very well reported by the authors.