FRIDAY, Aug. 2, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- In a guideline published online July 23 in Anaesthesia, recommendations for anesthetists are presented for the perioperative care of transgender and gender-diverse patients.
Stuart Edwardson, from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, and colleagues developed recommendations for anesthetists on special considerations relating to transgender and gender-diverse patients.
The authors developed more than 25 recommendations, which were then revised to a list of 15 recommendations after review by the working party. These included confirmation and use of the patient's preferred name and pronouns at all times. As part of the preoperative assessment, patients should be able to privately and safely disclose their sex at birth and gender; in an elective setting, digital preassessment questionnaires can provide this information. At preoperative assessment, all forms of social, medical, and surgical gender affirmation should be identified. At the surgical brief, all specific perioperative considerations, including name and pronouns, should be communicated to the team. Transgender status should only be shared with the patient's consent and if deemed important for the safety of their care; this information should be given the same level of confidentiality as other sensitive personal information. In a patient who has undergone gender-affirming cosmetic procedures, anesthetists should be cognizant of the inaccuracy of an airway assessment. Transgender and gender-diverse patients should receive care in an environment that respects their gender identity.
"Health care staff should remain educated and updated on the significant disparities in health care outcomes these patients face, alongside the specific anatomical, physiological, and social factors to be considered to provide safe and dignified care," the authors write.
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