Between July 2016 and July 2017, the University of Pennsylvania Health System recorded more than 90,000 visits for respiratory tract diagnoses. Researchers analyzed 1,200 randomized visits in which an antibiotic was prescribed. The study found that, between October and March — which the researchers defined as “winter” — more inappropriate prescriptions for antibiotics were written.
More winter visits resulted with an antibiotic prescription that was partly needed or unnecessary. Overall, the proportion of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing was higher in winter, 72.4 percent, compared to April through September, 62 percent.
In their conclusion, the researchers said decision fatigue could be a factor in more unnecessary prescriptions happening in the winter since providers are tasked with more respiratory tract diagnosis visits during these months. Other possible factors include the increase of anxiety and depression symptoms in colder months — which can affect physicians’ well-being — and the recency bias amid flu season.
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