I had forgotten that. Thanks for reminder!
Posted on 12/01/2017 9:16:26 AM PST by BenLurkin
Doctors in Miami faced an unusual ethical dilemma when an unconscious, deteriorating patient was brought into the emergency room with the words “Do Not Resuscitate” across his chest.
The 70-year-old man was taken earlier this year to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where doctors made their startling discovery: a chest tattoo that seemed to convey the patient's end-of-life wishes. The word “Not” was underlined, and the tattoo included a signature.
It left the medical team grappling with myriad ethical and legal questions.
...
Holt said the patient, who had a history of pulmonary disease, lived at a nursing home but was found intoxicated and unconscious on the street and brought to Jackson Memorial.
He arrived with no identification, no family or friends, and no way to tell doctors whether he wanted to live or die.
Holt said the man had an infection that led to septic shock, which causes organ failure and extremely low blood pressure.
When his blood pressure started to drop, emergency room doctors called Holt, who specializes in pulmonary disease — and they first agreed not to honor the tattoo, “invoking the principle of not choosing an irreversible path when faced with uncertainty,” according to the case study.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I’ve had two knee surgeries in the past 20 years and each time I wrote on the good knee: Do Not Touch, Malpractice is near, Si Hablo Espanol.
Yeah but, WHEN did he say it? Has he had a change of mind?
This is silly, you IGNORE the tattoo and save the guy’s life. If he really wanted to die, he can commit suicide later.
Exactly. This is not a valid document.
“I think I would have made the same choice. A tattoo is not a contract. It may be just a motto, or a decoration. Maybe he got it when he was drunk.”
If he had had his signature tattooed beneath, would that have been a clear statement of wishes?
Sounds like there’s a market for the opposite of “Help, I’ve fallen and can’t get up”.
It isn’t good enough in today’s environment.
If he wanted to be clear about it he needed to be an adult about it.
If a guy has a heart attack and his wife tells the EMT or ED physician her husband told her he didn’t want to be resuscitated, that still isn’t enough...for obvious reasons.
That is quite different. That is a very practical thing...as long as you aren’t dyslexic!
Courts have even ruled that text messages never sent can be last will and testament.
From the article:
After reviewing the patient’s case, the ethics consultants advised us to honor the patient’s do not resuscitate (DNR) tattoo. They suggested that it was most reasonable to infer that the tattoo expressed an authentic preference, that what might be seen as caution could also be seen as standing on ceremony, and that the law is sometimes not nimble enough to support patient-centered care and respect for patients’ best interests.
In any case, social workers were later able to track down the man’s proper DNR paperwork, leaving doctors relieved, Holt said.
The man, who was never publicly identified, died the next morning.
“I’ve often said the only tattoo I would ever get would be one that said “BT O-”.”
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
or
Takin’ Care of Business?
That, my friend, is a remarkable coincidence. As you know I have been feeling poorly, and was just about to amend my will and leave you my cherry, split-window '63 Co
They didn’t know how to read?
“Born to Loose”
or
“Born to Fale”
In the USA, even a living will and advance directives are legally not good enough to to compel healthcare personnel to not perform CPR or intubate.
It is fairly rigid, and one can assume there is a base of litigation this is likely based on.
Then why did I waste money getting those documents drawn up if medical personnel are going to ignore them?
2 Tattoo’ s.... “O-POS” on upper left chest and top of right thigh.
My wife has had a couple of surgeries, one was the left eye, the other was the right leg. In both instances, the surgery nurse, before administering anesthesia, confirmed with both of us which side was being operated on (she confirmed against her paperwork). Once we were all in agreement, she took out a marker, and on the side to be worked, wrote in big letters “YES” and on the other side “NO”.
We were told that this is standard procedure now - at least in our hospital.
Side story: The writings on her thigh were easily disguised. The ones on her forehead less so. The eye operation was in the winter so my wife had forgotten to wipe it off, and wore a wool cap out of the hospital. We didn’t discover it until we got to a restaurant! A quick trip to the ladies’ room took care of things...
Sorry, all I’ve got is Ray Charles and (or) The Tiger Lillies.
I figured you are O- blood type but decided to have some fun with Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO).
2 Tattoo’ s.... “O-POS” on upper left chest and top of right thigh.
For your past employment, those were wise tats.
Apparently a DNR is a very different type of document than either a living will or an advanced directive.
Personally, I would expect those to be valid areas to have a DNR wish expressed, but I have heard they are not.
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