Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of unplanned readmission. There is need to identify risk factors for, and strategies to prevent readmission in patients with COPD.

Aim: To systematically review and summarise the prevalence, risk factors and outcomes associated with rehospitalisation due to COPD exacerbation.

Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Five databases were searched for relevant studies.

Results: Fifty-seven studies from 30 countries met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of COPD-related readmission varied from 2.6 to 82.2% at 30 days, 11.8–44.8% at 31–90 days, 17.9–63.0% at 6 months, and 25.0–87.0% at 12 months post-discharge. There were differences in the reported factors associated with readmissions, which may reflect variations in the local context, such as the availability of community-based services to care for exacerbations of COPD. Hospitalisation in the previous year prior to index admission was the key predictor of COPD-related readmission. Comorbidities (in particular asthma), living in a deprived area and living in or discharge to a nursing home were also associated with readmission. Relative to those without readmissions, readmitted patients had higher in-hospital mortality rates, shorter long-term survival, poorer quality of life, longer hospital stay, increased recurrence of subsequent readmissions, and accounted for greater healthcare costs.

Conclusions: in the previous year was the principal risk factor for COPD-related readmissions. Variation in the prevalence and the reported factors associated with COPD-related readmission indicate that risk factors cannot be generalised, and interventions should be tailored to the local healthcare environment.