Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/12/03/doctors-follow-mans-tattoo.html
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The staff originally decided against following the tattoo’s orders saying it was an “irreversible” decision that shouldn’t be left to potential body art or a drunken mistake.
Yea, I guess it would be bad if he just got the tat to make his buddies laugh, or if it was a piece of ill-conceived performance art. What are the odds on that?
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Glad this was resolved with minimal fuss because Hospitals will sometimes ignore WRITTEN DNR orders if the Family is present and protesting.
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Maybe he was a doctor.
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As opposed to this fellow…
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Maybe the man should have also had a notary public tattoo their signature under his?
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I think in the industry, they would tattoo “no code.” I might be wrong.
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Pretty low, if he’s 70 I reckon. Especially with how fresh that looks.
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Given that he also had a written DNR, the tat was obviously a back-up. Pretty smart of him actually, since it sounds like they didn’t find the DNR 'till later.
Hadn’t spotted that, but also pretty smart. I’ve used Copperplate in many engraving projects. Clear and easy to read.
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Been somewhere near there, did not like the t-shirts.
My spouse is disabled and completely unable to travel except for medical reasons. Ontario law says that a power of attorney is legal and binding if it is signed and witnessed by two people. But our bank insists that before they will deign to obey a power of attorney, it has to be notarized with the notary witnessing the signatures of all parties. Getting two witnesses to come to our house to see my spouse sign a POA wasn’t all that hard, but getting two witnesses and a notary to all come to our house at the same time would be hideously expensive (home visit notaries are not cheap) and logistically challenging. Which made closing out the one account with the bank that had only her name on it rather annoying.
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How about a readable chip with all the “paperwork” on board?
/gets popcorn before all the Mark of the Beast types scream about Death Chips.
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Well the subject is Florida man, so the odds are in favor of idiotic mistake leading to death.
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A lot of police officers get certified as a notary public to make their paperwork quicker. They don’t advertise it, and I don’t think too many use it to make a buck on the side, but if you have a cop friend they might be able to call in a favor.
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You never make an irreversible decision on patient care without a very good reason. A tattoo is not enough to communicate a patient’s wishes. Note that they found the original DNR order before the patient actually died.
It’s much like those labels inside motorcycle jackets with space for your blood type. No one would ever transfuse you without doing a type and cross-match, and would never act on a label inside a jacket that might not be your own.
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Last place* i saw this, someone* mentioned* a previous case in which the tattoo had been a joke or some such*. But on a 70-year old, i suspect not.
* How’s that for some vague “evidence”.
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They had no choice but to make an irreversible decision on patient care as soon as this guy showed up.
If not choosing was actually an option, demanding impeccably high standards for choices would be attractive; but choices have a way forcing themselves on you; as they did in this case.
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I’d agree on the motorcycle jacket, but I think there would a slim chance this person is wearing someone else’s tattoo and/or skin. This seems almost as deliberate as one can get. I would honor it.
They actually resuscitated him (“empirical antibiotics, received intravenous fluid resuscitation and vasopressors, and was treated with bilevel positive airway pressure”), so even though he didn’t regain consciousness and eventually died, this is, in my book, a failure.
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We don’t know any cops or lawyers. Perhaps that is for the best. Anyway, its mostly a moot point, as the only account that did not have both our names on it is now closed.
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