• Khalia Ackermann, Isabelle Lynch, Nanda Aryal, Johanna Westbrook, and Ling Li.
• Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: khalia.ackermann@mq.edu.au.
• J Crit Care. 2025 Feb 1; 85: 154925154925.

PurposeTo review the evidence regarding hospital readmission diagnoses and analyse related readmission rates following a sepsis admission.MethodsFive databases, grey literature, and selected article reference lists were searched in May and June 2024. Included studies investigated sepsis survivor readmissions and reported readmission diagnoses and rates. Meta-analyses of readmission rates were performed.ResultsAfter screening, 51 studies were included, with most studies (46/51; 90.2 %) investigating adult survivors. Infection or sepsis were reported as the most common readmission reason in 18 of the 21 studies investigating three or more readmission diagnoses in adults. Meta-analyses showed that 4.7 % (95 % CI: 3.1 to 6.5 %, PI: 0.3-13.4 %, n = 11 studies) of adult survivors readmitted to hospital with another sepsis diagnosis at 30 days, 8.1 % (95 % CI: 4.5 to 12.7 %, PI: <0.1-29.0 %, n = 7) at 90 days, and 16.4 % (95 % CI: 11.3 to 22.2 %, PI: <0.1-96.3 %, n = 3) at one year. At 30 days 3.5 % (95 % CI: 2.2-5.0 %, PI: 0.3-10.0 %, n = 7) of adult survivors readmitted to hospital with a cardiovascular disease diagnosis.ConclusionsInfection and sepsis are frequent readmission diagnoses for sepsis survivors, with one in 21 adult survivors readmitted for sepsis at 30-days. PROSPERO registration: CRD42023455851.Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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