A Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Hospital Readmissions Following Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

This protocol outlines the planned methodology for a systematic review and meta-analysis. The primary objective of the review is to identify all-cause readmission rates for individuals hospitalized for an upper GI bleed (UGIB). Secondary objectives will include GI bleed-specific readmission rates, mortality (all-cause and GI bleed-specific), readmission diagnosis, and length of stay on readmission visit. High-risk subgroups will also be explored including age, sex, type of GI bleed (e.g., variceal or not), anti-coagulation status, and comorbidity status. Through this review, the research team aims to describe an important quality indicator, which has implications for both patient safety post-discharge after an UGIB and healthcare resource utilization.