Non-Binary and Binary Gender Identity in Australian Trans and Gender Diverse Individuals.

Many trans and gender diverse (TGD) people have gender identities that are not exclusively male or female but instead fall in-between or outside of the gender binary (non-binary). It remains unclear if and how those with non-binary gender identity differ from TGD individuals with binary identities. We aimed to understand the sociodemographic and mental health characteristics of people with non-binary identities compared with binary TGD identities. We performed a retrospective audit of new consultations for gender dysphoria between 2011 and 2016 in three clinical settings in Melbourne, Australia; (1) Equinox Clinic, an adult primary care clinic, (2) an adult endocrine specialist clinic, and (3) the Royal Children's Hospital, a child and adolescent specialist referral clinic. Age (grouped by decade), gender identity, sociodemographic, and mental health conditions were recorded. Of 895 TGD individuals, 128 (14.3%) had a non-binary gender. Proportions differed by clinical setting; 30.4% of people attending the adult primary care clinic, 7.4% attending the adult endocrine specialist clinic, and 8.0% attending the pediatric clinic identified as non-binary. A total of 29% of people in the 21-30-year-old age-group had a non-binary gender identity, higher than all other age-groups. Compared to TGD people with a binary gender identity, non-binary people had lower rates of gender-affirming interventions, and a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and illicit drug use. Tailoring clinical services to be inclusive of non-binary people and strategies to support mental health are required. Further research to better understand health needs and guide evidence-based gender-affirming interventions for non-binary people are needed.

Safety of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischaemic Stroke in Anticoagulated Patients Ineligible for Intravenous Thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Endovascular thrombectomy may be performed in anticoagulated patients taking vitamin-K antagonists (VKA) or direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in whom the use of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is contraindicated. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy specifically in anticoagulated patients ineligible for thrombolysis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of consecutive ischaemic stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy from January 2008 to June 2017. Patients receiving any dose of intravenous or intra-arterial thrombolysis were excluded. Patients taking oral anticoagulants (VKAs or DOACs) were compared with non-anticoagulated patients. Outcomes compared between groups included the rate of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) on follow-up imaging (ICHany), symptomatic ICH, functional independence at 90 days (modified Rankin scale score, 0-2), mortality, and post-treatment recanalization (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score ≥2b). RESULTS: In all, 102 patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy without prior thrombolysis were included in the study. Sixty-six (64.7%) patients were not anticoagulated, 23 (22.5%) patients were taking VKAs, and 13 (12.7%) patients were taking DOACs. There were no significant differences in the rate of ICHany (11.1 vs. 13.6%, p = 0.93) or sICH (2.8 vs. 1.5%, p = 0.14) in anticoagulated patients compared to non-anticoagulated patients. No cases of sICH were observed among patients taking DOACs. After 90 days of follow-up, the rates of functional independence (50.0 vs. 43.1%) and mortality (27.8 vs. 25.8%) were also similar between the anticoagulation and the non-anticoagulation groups. CONCLUSION: Mechanical thrombectomy appears to be safe and effective in anticoagulated patients ineligible for thrombolysis, with observed haemorrhage rates similar to those of patients not on anticoagulant therapy. However, further multicentre prospective studies are needed, due to the rising number of patients on warfarin and DOACs worldwide.