Florida hospital faced an unsettling ethical quandary when paramedics brought in an unconscious patient with “Do Not Resuscitate” tattooed across his chest leaves doctors with the life-or-death dilemma.
The 70-year-old man was admitted to the Hospital with respiratory problems, a high blood alcohol concentration, and no identification documents. “This patient’s tattooed DNR request produced more confusion than clarity,” doctors said, saying they “initially decided not to honor the tattoo, invoking the principle of not choosing an irreversible path when faced with uncertainty.”
The tattoo includes “No” on his chest was underlined, and the message included his signature. Doctors, meanwhile, gave the man basic care to buy time while they considered the life-or-death choice. The consultants advised the doctors to honor the tattoo, suggesting “it was most reasonable to infer that the tattoo expressed an authentic preference.”Doctors opted to follow that advice, and the man died during the night.
The medical team reported that this was not the first time, Once a 59-year-old man who was hospitalized with the message “DNR” on his chest. Later the patient confirmed that tattooed message was not indicative of his wishes, saying it was simply the result of a bet made during his youth.
Post Your Comments