Tattoos and epidurals

confused101 · Oct 12, 2007

I heard about this on the radio last night matter of fact. The MD's are saying that the tattoo dye will go into the body when the epidural needle is being inserted. I don't know any other details.

nc4986 · Oct 12, 2007

hmm, well my wife gave birth just under 3 mo ago and her tatoo wasn't an issue as far as her doc was concerned and it was only a yr old, but i wonder if the dimentions of the tatoo is what determines what is safe and what is not? hers was a turtle about the size of a fuji apple.

SICU Queen · Oct 12, 2007

Perhaps it has something to do with being able to visualize landmarks? Dunno... never heard of that...

feebebe23 · Oct 12, 2007

Depends on the size....

If the MD/CRNA can go above it or below it then they can place it. Also, consider if you are on medicaide or self pay usually they will use any reason to not place an epidual.

sweetcheekers · Oct 12, 2007

Our CRNAs will do an epidural on a patient with a tattoo only if they can place it without going through the inked areas. Their reasoning is that some tattoos are done with ink that contains lead and this can be released into the system if punctured in that area. Don't know if this is one of those theories that we just avoid because it "could" be a problem or if it is evidence based?

jnrsmommy · Oct 12, 2007

Which leads me to ask (slightly off topic), what about ppl w/ tats all over their arms? Granted, I know that a vein is not the same as getting into epidural space, but if there's a risk for introducing lead into the body as a previous poster mentioned, I would certainly like to know more about it.

Balder_LPN, LPN · Oct 12, 2007

our crnas will do an epidural on a patient with a tattoo only if they can place it without going through the inked areas. their reasoning is that some tattoos are done with ink that contains lead and this can be released into the system if punctured in that area. don't know if this is one of those theories that we just avoid because it "could" be a problem or if it is evidence based?

my occupational health nurse wont give me any injection through the tattoo on my deltoid. she said there is risk of pushing the ink into the muscle and there may be pathogens isolated in the ink even though it is not causing any infection right now while it is encapsulated in the dermis (or was it epidermis, maybe i better go back to a&p!). she keeps up on these things too, although i didnt ask her for the evidence she used to come to that conclusion.

i would think whatever risk there is of pushing contaminants into the muscle would be even greater with an epidural as it is is going in the epidural space and there is risk of puncturing the dura also.

this website http://www.metrokc.gov/health/vacscene/vol6-3.htm says

"is it safe to give a vaccine directly into an area where there is a tattoo?

yes, both intramuscular (im) and subcutaneous (sc) vaccines may be given through a tatoo."

and so does http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_general.asp

so i will be doing some more research myself.

here http://www.cja-jca.org/cgi/content/full/49/10/1057 is something else that says no problem, after quite a search i cant find any evidence to support not doing epidurals or injections through a tattoo

ragingmomster, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2007

Tattoos have never stopped any of our CRNA's or ologists from placing a spinal or epidural.

I can't imagine being told I had to have general anesthesia for a caesarean because spinal wasn't possible d/t a tattoo.:uhoh21:

Dolce, RN · Oct 13, 2007

I remember hearing about this a couple of years ago. The ever-popular tramp stamps are right in the epidural location. I personally wouldn't want to have an epidural through a tat (although I'm way too much of a pansy to have one anyway) because of the risk of pulling that pigment into the epidural space. I have heard that a lot of MDs and CRNAs feel okay about doing epidurals on well-healed tattoos but I think it is a risk.

crissrn27, RN · Oct 13, 2007

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatfaq/f/epidural.htm

http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/childbirth/exwc3.htm

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/QA/answers-Tattoos_and_epidurals/

These aren't actually studies, just real folks that did/didn't get their epidurals based on their tats. This is interesting. I've never had a anes. refuse to do a epi r/t a tramp stamp! Didn't know it was an issue anywhere!

PreRN Katie · Oct 22, 2007

Oh man, I guess I should've done more research before I got my WHOLE BACK covered with a tattoo. I really hope I don't have to have a natural childbirth now! :uhoh21: