Monday

tattoos on lower back can cause probs during childbirth

At least, that's what THIS STUDY SAYS
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was sure I just read something on this that said it's a mistaken belief. So I did a search and here is the article:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/527920

Excerpt:
There is a widely held belief in the lay community, and even among some physicians, that a tattoo on the lower back will prevent safe administration of epidural or spinal anesthesia. Questions in this regard are becoming among the most common I address. Currently, the lower back seems to be one of the most common sites for a tattoo, particularly among women. The concern is that the ink in the tattoo will somehow introduce problems if tracked into the epidural or spinal space. In fact, there is no evidence to support this claim. Although some anesthesiologists are hesitant to insert a needle through tattooed skin, most will not have a problem. If the tattoo has completely healed (as it should be by the time a woman presents in labor!), the risk of infection when inserting an epidural needle through tattooed skin should be no greater than insertion through native skin. With regard to the ink itself, all of the substances are biologically inert and fixed within the dermis once it has healed. All epidural and spinal anesthesia is administered with styletted (rather than hollow) needles, and the stylet is not removed until the needle has passed through the superficial layers of skin. Thus, I, and most other anesthesiologists, do not find that a lower back tattoo will preclude the use of regional anesthesia. Some anesthesiologists may feel otherwise and counsel patients regarding this, but there is no published evidence to support any danger of a regional anesthetic in the presence of a tattoo.

::shrugs:: differing opinions, anyway

Dale (formerly DR, but trying to avoid confusion)

Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at 12:54:00 PM GMT
Anonymous said...

I love your website. It has a lot of great pictures and is very informative.
»

Friday, May 19, 2006 at 11:41:00 AM GMT

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