About

Bharath Chakravarthy is a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine, serving as Vice Chair of Research and Academic Affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine within the School of Medicine. He holds an M.D. from Boston University (2002), an M.P.H. from UCLA (2012), and a B.A. in Molecular Biology from UC Berkeley (1995). His research interests encompass population health, mental health, and substance abuse, with a focus on emergency medicine and public health issues. Dr. Chakravarthy has contributed extensively to the understanding of various emergency medicine topics, including alcohol consumption patterns, mental health, pediatric and geriatric injuries, and substance abuse. His work involves analyzing disparities in health outcomes, injury prevention, and the social determinants of health related to emergency department utilization. He has been recognized with teaching awards such as the Michael Burns Emergency Medicine Faculty of the Year in 2008 and 2012, and 2015. Additionally, he has secured multiple grants for research and program evaluation, including projects funded by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, UC Irvine, and the California Health Care Foundation.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Nursing
• Emergency medicine
• Psychiatry
• Internal medicine
• Family medicine
• Cardiology
• Psychology
• Virology
• Pathology
• Physical therapy

Selected publications

• Impact of Primary Care Visit Frequency on Non-Urgent Emergency Department Visits in a Large Urban Medical Center

  Journal of Primary Care & Community Health · 2026-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: To examine whether primary care visit frequency (PVF) is associated with non-urgent emergency department visits (NU-EDVs) at a large urban medical center, and to identify determinants of higher PVF among Emergency Department patients. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult ED patients (ESI ≥4 considered NU-EDV) at a Southern California Level I trauma center (September 2021-April 2024). Undergraduate research associates administered a 29-item instrument capturing demographics, utilization, barriers, trust in primary care, and comorbidities. Bivariate tests and multivariable logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for NU-EDV and for PVF ≥3 visits/year. RESULTS: Among 964 patients with a primary care provider, 62.9% reported <3 PCP visits/year; 59.2% presented with NU-EDV. After adjustment, PVF ≥3/year was associated with lower odds of NU-EDV (aOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.48-0.87). Medicaid/Cal insurance was associated with higher odds of NU-EDV versus private insurance (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.12-2.08). Determinants of PVF ≥3/year included female sex (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.04-1.86), older age (aOR 1.01 per year, 95% CI 1.00-1.02), Black race (aOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.17-4.19), Medicaid/Cal coverage (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.22-2.37), more chronic conditions (aOR 1.53 per condition, 95% CI 1.35-1.71), and lower odds with PCP distrust (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.30-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Greater primary care engagement is independently associated with fewer NU-EDVs; however, Medicaid beneficiaries remain at elevated risk for non-urgent ED use. Improving after-hours access, care coordination, and Medicaid-eligible unscheduled primary care may further reduce avoidable ED utilization.

  PublisherDOI

• Dizziness

  Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2026-05-21

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Case-control studies conducted in emergency departments: a methodological consideration

  Revista de Educaci�n e Investigaci�n en Emergencias · 2026-02-17

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluating Healthcare Access for Unhoused Patients at the UCI Emergency Department

  Open MIND · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access
  OA PDFDOI

• Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment and Its Determinants among Older Adults in Urban South India – A Cross-sectional Study

  Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal · 2025-10-01

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is a growing public health challenge for older adults in nations like India due to demographic changes and chronic diseases, significantly impacting daily function. Despite its importance, there is limited research in quantifying the burden of cognitive impairment. AIMS: This study aims to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment among the elderly in an urban area and to determine the associated factors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2024 and February 2025 in an urban area of Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. 300 participants aged 60 years and above were selected using two-stage random sampling. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Katz index of independence of activities of daily living (ADL) and DASS-21 scale. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with cognitive impairment (MoCA score ≤24). RESULTS: The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 36.67%. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) was present in 11.67% of participants. Multivariate analysis revealed that engaging in leisure activities was protective against cognitive impairment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.332). Factors significantly associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment included gait disturbances (AOR 2.872), dependence in ADL (AOR 5.983) and depression (AOR 7.393). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment is highly prevalent among the elderly in this urban South Indian community. Promoting leisure activities and addressing modifiable factors such as depression, functional dependence and gait disturbances are important strategies for mitigating cognitive decline in this population.

  PublisherDOI

• Comparative Effectiveness of Telesimulation Versus In-Person Training for Teaching Tourniquet Application for Life-Threatening Hemorrhage: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

  Simulation in Healthcare The Journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare · 2025-09-29

  article

  INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhage continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in trauma, and tourniquet application has been associated with survival. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of telesimulation (TeleSIM) versus in-person training (SIM) for teaching tourniquet application for life-threatening hemorrhage control. METHODS: We performed a prospective randomized study of participants enrolled in a Stop The Bleed course at a university medical school. The TeleSIM group completed the course with an instructor streaming live from an off-site location. The SIM group completed the course in the standard fashion with a live instructor present. The primary endpoint was the successful application of a combat application tourniquet to a bleeding extremity in a simulation scenario. We also evaluated the time for successful tourniquet application according to training modality. Participants' thoughts, feelings, and attitudes pertaining to their experience in the course were obtained via a postcourse survey. RESULTS: Ninety-four of 97 (96.9%) eligible subjects participated in the study. There was no difference in the proportion of participants in each group who successfully applied a combat application tourniquet during their simulation scenario: TeleSIM group, 100% (95% CI, 92.5-100.0); SIM group, 100% (95% CI, 92.7-100.0). We also observed no significant difference in the mean time it took the participants to apply a tourniquet regardless of their training modality. Both groups reported their learning modality as an effective way to learn hemorrhage control. CONCLUSION: A telesimulation-based instructional delivery design is an effective way to teach tourniquet application for hemorrhage control.

  PublisherDOI

• Impact of Gaming Addiction on Sleep Quality among Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study from Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India

  JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH · 2025-08-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Introduction: Games are one of the most common forms of recreation, whether played in solitude or with others. Obsessive video game playing can affect a person’s everyday activities, alter their behaviour, and have numerous negative repercussions on their physical and mental health. Addiction to video games has become a public health concern, particularly among youth and college students. It impacts daily functioning, disrupts sleep, and poses physical and psychological risks. According to the National Sleep Foundation, students should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night; yet, college students often struggle to meet their basic needs, including adequate sleep. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of gaming addiction and its association with sleep quality among medical college students in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 484 medical students in the Chengalpattu district from May to July 2024. A two-stage random sampling method was used for sample selection. A semi-structured questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic details, the Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess gaming addiction and sleep quality, respectively, were employed to collect data. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Results: The mean age of participants was 21.65±3.17 years. The majority of them came from nuclear families 352 (72.7%), and 268 (55.4%) were hostellers. The mean score for sleep quality was 6.08±2.69. Approximately 49.6% of students reported poor sleep quality. Chi-square tests indicated a statistically significant association (p=0.001) between gaming addiction and sleep quality, with 140 (87.5%) of addicted gamers showing poor sleep. A significant association was also found between age, residence, and addiction status with sleep quality (p&lt;0.05). A regression model showed that addiction, age, and type of family were strong predictors of poor sleep, indicating that older individuals and males had poorer sleep quality. Conclusion: Gaming addiction was observed in 33.1% of participants, while 49.6% reported poor sleep quality. Among those with gaming addiction, 87.5% experienced poor sleep. The likelihood of poor sleep quality was found to be three times higher in addicted gamers compared to non-addicted individuals.

  PublisherDOI

• Getting a Grip on Sarcopenia: A Practical Guide for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Teams

  Caring for the Ages · 2025-04-29

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Emergency Department Utilization and Patient Acuity in the Setting of Care-Seeking Hesitancy: Insights from the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Western Journal of Emergency Medicine · 2025-09-26

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly altered emergency department (ED) utilization patterns. This study quantifies the statistics at a Level I trauma center in Southern California from 14 months before to nine months after the start of the pandemic (January 2019-December 2020). We hypothesized that during the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in ED use patterns impacted patient acuity, as measured by admission rate, mortality rate, ED volume, Emergency Severity Index (ESI), and female:male ratio, even when controlling for COVID-19 cases. METHODS: In this study we examined 97,793 ED visits from January 2019-December 2020 at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA, via an administrative database comprised of anonymized datapoints from the electronic health record. We included all months from January 2019-December 2020 to account for potential secular trends by calendar month. Primary outcome measures were hospital admission rate and all-causes mortality rate among non-COVID-19 patients who presented to the ED. Secondary outcome measures included the mean number of ED visits per month, mean ESI, and female:male ratio among non-COVID-19 patients. Statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: We found an increase in the mortality rate per ED visit of 0.8859% before the pandemic to 1.2706% (P < .001) during the pandemic. After excluding COVID-19 cases, the mortality rate per ED visit remained elevated at 1.1746% (P < .001), a relative increase of 32.6%. Hospital admission rate increased from 26.0% before the pandemic to 32.3% during the pandemic (P < .001). The mean number of ED visits per month decreased from 4,271.2 ± 193.1 before the pandemic to 3,558.7 ± 437.1 per month during the pandemic (P < .001), a relative decrease of 16.7% when excluding COVID-19 cases. The mean ESI of non-COVID-19 related cases during the pandemic decreased from 2.85 pre-pandemic to 2.84 during the pandemic (P = .03). The female:male ratio decreased from 1.003 pre-pandemic to 0.885 during the pandemic (P < .001). CONCLUSION: This study reveals a decrease in patient volume with an increase in mortality and admission rate, demonstrating an association between shifts in ED utilization patterns and increased patient acuity during the pandemic. Understanding patients' emergency care-seeking behavior during this period is essential for preparing for future large-scale public health crises and optimizing ED resource allocation and mobilization based on lessons learned from COVID-19. Overall, these findings highlight the need for further research into the development of strategies to address changes in care-seeking behavior during access-limiting scenarios.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Immunogenicity and Safety of Biological E’s 14-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PNEUBEVAX 14 ^® ) Administered in a 2p+1 Schedule to Healthy Infants: A Multicenter, Randomized, Active Controlled, Single-Blind, Phase III Trial

  medRxiv · 2025-08-27 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract Background Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have markedly reduced childhood pneumococcal diseases, yet serotype replacement and regional heterogeneity remain important challenges. The World Health Organization recommends either a 3p + 0 or 2p + 1 schedule for PCV immunization programmes. BE-PCV14, a 14-valent vaccine, has previously been shown to be non-inferior to PCV13 in a 3p + 0 regimen. In this study, we descriptively compared the immunogenicity and safety of BE-PCV14 and PCV13 in a 2p + 1 schedule in Indian infants. Methods In this randomized, single-blind, multicenter trial, 400 PCV-naïve infants (6–8 weeks old) were randomized 1:1 to receive either BE-PCV14 or PCV13; at 6 and 14 weeks, with a booster at 9 months. Serum IgGs against 14 vaccine serotypes plus cross-protective 6A were measured at post primary (28 days post dose 2), pre booster (at 9 months) and post booster (30 days post dose 3) time points. The primary endpoint was the proportion achieving IgG ≥ 0.35 µg/mL (seroconversion rate) for the 12 serotypes common to both vaccines at post primary, pre booster and post booster time points. Solicited local and systemic reactions were recorded for 7 days after each dose; unsolicited, medically attended, and serious adverse events (SAEs) were captured throughout. Results Between May 2023 to July 2024, 400 participants were enrolled of which 380 (95%) completed the study. Post primary seroconversion rates in the BE-PCV14 arm for common serotypes ranged from 72.6% (serotype 3) to 100% (14, 19F); PCV13 rates ranged from 71.6% to 100% (3 to 14, 19F, 19A). Post booster rates were 87.6–100% for BE-PCV14 and 85.0–100% for PCV13. BE-PCV14 elicited high responses against the two additional serotypes (22F: 96.8%; 33F: 95.3%) and cross-protective 6A (93.0%). Seroconversion rates and Geometric mean concentrations were similar between groups. Most adverse events were mild or moderate; two unrelated SAEs occurred in the BE-PCV14 arm. Interpretation Administered in a 2p + 1 schedule, BE-PCV14 was highly immunogenic, well tolerated, and comparable to PCV13 while broadening serotype coverage, supporting its inclusion in routine infant immunisation programmes. Clinical Trials Registry of India Number: CTRI/2022/11/047366

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Shahram Lotfipour

  University of California, Irvine

  140 shared

• Wirachin Hoonpongsimanont

  Eisenhower Medical Center

  54 shared

• Tim A. Bruckner

  UC Irvine Health

  41 shared

• Craig L. Anderson

  40 shared

• Faried Banimahd

  University of California, Irvine

  37 shared

• Omeed Ahadiat

  Southern California University for Professional Studies

  36 shared

• Tricia Loo

  University of California, San Francisco

  36 shared

• Manish Amin

  Kern Medical Center

  36 shared

Education

• B.A., Molecular Biology

  UC Berkeley

  1995

• M.D.

  Boston University

  2002

• Other

  UCLA

  2012

Awards & honors

• Michael Burns Emergency Medicine Faculty of the Year 2015
• Teaching Faculty of the Year Emergency Medicine Student Cler…
• Programmatic Evaluation of ‘Drug Use is Life Abuse’ program…