Tattoos Used For Medical Purposes

By Margarita Nahapetyan

More and more people are now turning to a new trend of tattooing themselves in order to let others know about their medical conditions, such as diabetes, in case of emergency. The report on the topic was presented on Friday, May 29, at the 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), in Houston.

The main author of the report, Dr. Saleh Aldasouqi, MD, FACE, discovered medical tattooing for the first time when one of his patients, Illinois correctional officer Todd Walsh, a patient with type 1 diabetes, came to the doctor's office in order to evaluate and manage his disease. During a physical examination, Dr. Aldasouqi saw that there was a medical alert tattooed on Walsh's right forearm, just above his wrist.

The tattoo is a "star of life," in black and red colors, a six-pointed star with a spiraling serpent inside, the symbol that can often been seen on ambulance vehicles. The word "Diabetic" is inscribed below the star. Walsh said that very often he experienced episodes of potentially life-threatening low blood sugar, which can result in disorientation and even losing consciousness. The patient said that since he was 22 months old, he had been wearing medical alert bracelets or necklaces, However they often broke and it was becoming very costly to getting the new ones from time to time. This is when the idea of something permanent like a tattoo came to Todd's mind.

Dr. Aldasouqi says that soon after meeting Walsh, he has observed a diabetes tattoo on one of his other patients. Pretty much interested, the expert started investigating on the matter, reading medical literature in order to find out more about suggested guidelines for medical tattooing. To his big surprise, there were absolutely no such guidelines or approval from the medical authorities. More research demonstrated that the Internet is completely full with discussions about medical tattoos, including interest from parents of children with type 1 diabetes whose children are against wearing medical alert jewelry or find it not comfortable. "On the net, patients with diabetes, parents of children with diabetes, and various other interested parties actively debated the pros and cons of this practice," Dr. Aldasouqi said.

The further investigation of the doctor included a visit to a local tattoo parlor, where he was impressed with its cleanliness and that it carried health licensing requirements. In addition, Dr. Aldasouqi found that it was a must for all the clients to sign a consent form. "It looked just like any outpatient surgery clinic," the expert said. At Fatty's Custom Tattooz in Washington, D.C., owner Matthew Jessup said that he himself had carved a lot of health-related tattoos. "I have done a bio-hazard symbol for a few people with HIV," he said.

One of the most obvious benefits of tattooing in meducal purposes is for the identification of the person's condition in case of an emergency, and especially for patients with diabetes, who can be incapacitated in the case of hypoglycemic coma. Tattooing allows them to "take defense of their inpatient care," Dr. Aldasouqi said.

However, placement of tattoo on the body may also lead to some health issues, such as the transmission of spreadable diseases, including Hepatitis and HIV infections, if not performed by licensed professionals, using clean needles and tools. Other concerns include inciting infections at the site of tattooing, in particular, in individuals with poor diabetic control who are likely to have weaker immune response to infections. Among less common problems are allergic reactions to tattoo dyes, and issues arising from interference/or injury as a result of the red dye (in case of containing iron) during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

"Like it or not, tattooing for purposes of medical alerts is a phenomenon that is now occurring," Aldasouqi said and also recommended that patients and their physicians can sit down, analyze the risks and benefits of the medical tattooing, and make an informed decision together.