Medical Tattoos – More Than Just Fashion

An emerging trend that is quickly gaining popularity is a transition from wearing medical alert bracelets to getting a more permanent medical tattoo that warns first responders and other medical professionals about any important medical conditions that could affect their treatment and response to treatment.

Medical tattoos are being used to let emergency medical professionals know about any chronic conditions a person might have, such as having diabetes or being seizure prone, as well if they have any implanted medical devices, like pacemakers or defibrillators, and if they have any serious allergies, such as an allergy to penicillin or Advil, and in some cases, people are even using medical tattoos to state their end-of-life wishes or do-not-resuscitate (DNR) requests.   With an increasing number of people making the switch to medical tattoos, looking forward it is important for the medical community to get involved. As of right now medical tattoos aren’t seen as carrying much legal weight and emergency personnel report that they are unclear as to if they should be honoring life-changing request, such as a DNR or CPR refusal, that is made via a tattoo that an individual has. Medical professionals are now starting express their concerns in hopes that the American Medical Association will get involved to help develop guidelines for the medical tattoos and release a statement regarding the legality of the tattoos.   Whether they carry much legal weight or not, medical tattoos still provide medical professionals with important life-saving information. Should you decide to join the trend, experts recommend getting the tattoo done by a credible tattoo artist at a licensed tattoo parlor. After getting your new tattoo, ensure that it stays looking as good as when you first got it by using the Tattoo Goo Tattoo Care Kit to help the skin heal properly and protect the integrity of the ink. Mountainside Medical Equipment also has a whole section of their website designated to tattoo shop professionals. Get great prices on everything needed to maintain and clean and sterile environment in your tattoo parlor.   Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medical-tattoos-with-vital-information-replacing-bracelets-for-some/ http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/27/medical-tattoos-offer-important-health-information/ http://firstaid.about.com/od/medicallegal/f/Medical-Tattoos.htm http://www.mountainside-medical.com/professions/tattoo-shops.html?limit=all