Validity of DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Tattoos and Their Potential Problems in Japan: From a Case Reported in the U.S.
Shigeru Chiba
Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 63-67
First Published: September 28, 2018
[Japanese]
Abstract
DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) tattoos show that the tattoo bearers do not want to be resuscitated when they suffer a cardiopulmonary arrest in the terminal stage of illness. In the U.S., there is a case reported in which an unconscious patient with a DNR tattoo on his chest was taken to a hospital, but the doctors found themselves in a dilemma whether to honor the tattoo as they could not find any other advance directives. The concept of DNR is widely spreading among health care workers in Japan. I will discuss the validity of DNR tattoos and the potential problems they pose in Japan.
