(Davis, Calif.) – Second-year pediatric resident Dr. Bhavishya Devireddy recently presented an abstract of a study she coauthored, which examined healthcare disparities among trauma patients requiring pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission in the COVID-19 era. Dr. Devireddy presented the abstract at the Pediatric Critical Care Colloquium, a national gathering of pediatric physicians, nurses, advanced practice clinicians, respiratory therapists and other allied health care providers, on Oct. 22 in Davis.
On this national stage, Dr. Devireddy represented her co-authors, Valley Children’s Medical Director of Trauma, Dr. Shannon Castle and pediatric critical care physician Dr. Andrew Kim (who both served as Dr. Devireddy’s mentors on the study), and Dr. A. Daniella Santi, who graduated from Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program in June 2022 and is now a pediatric cardiology fellow at the University of Miami/Jackson Health System in Florida.
“It was exciting to share some of the current data we have gathered and get helpful insights into further work to be completed before submitting the paper for publication,” said Dr. Devireddy. “[The colloquium] was a great opportunity to network and meet other pediatric residents and fellows from across the country.”
The study examined factors correlated with healthcare disparities in patients admitted to the PICU as a result of trauma before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the researchers did not find a difference in the type, severity or mortality rate among pediatric trauma cases requiring PICU admission based on race or ethnicity prior to and during the pandemic, they did find that ICU length of stay and hospital length of stay were both significantly longer in the pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group. However, the researchers noted, the difference in length of stay may be attributed to resource limitations in healthcare facilities during the pandemic. Ultimately, they note, it is vital to keep in mind disparities in healthcare when treating patients from different backgrounds, and that continued research into examining the impact of health disparities in the field can help improve the care pediatric facilities provide to their young patients.
“We are very proud of Dr. Devireddy on her accomplishment and appreciative of mentors like Dr. Castle who invest in teaching residents the fundamentals of research,” said Dr. Vini Vijayan, Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program Director. “Engagement in research and dissemination of research findings allows for physicians to improve the health of the individuals in the community they serve but also nationally."
Dr. Devireddy, a native of Cupertino, California, will graduate from Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program with the Class of 2024.
“From the first day of my rotation at Valley Children’s, I had a sense of community and warmth from each one of the preceptors and GME staff that I interacted with,” said Dr. Devireddy. “The community is equally as welcoming and appreciative of the medical care. Being in the Central Valley provides a very unique mix of cases and I am excited for all the learning opportunities Valley Children’s Hospital provides.”
Learn more about Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program at www.valleychildrens.org/pediatricresidency.