i heart tattoos.

By impactEDnurse • Apr 25th, 2008 • Category: the funnybone.

As we have seen before, some people will get themselves tattooed with some pretty wierd stuff. But this?

I have heard of folks getting do not resuscitate inked across their chests….but to permanently record ECG tracings ( and yes these are real tattoos) on your body parts is three stops past crazy town.

I don’t even want to imagine where he records his MediCare number.

The problem with stuff like this is, that if you ever do come into our ED  with an arrhythmia ….your tat will end up getting more attention than your heart.

OK then.
100 points to the first person who can correctly identify the forearm strip and diagnose the bicep/tricep tracing.

[hat tip to: mindhacks]

impactEDnurse is also known as Ian Miller, a nurse with over 26 years experience working in a busy emergency department in, Australia. This site in no way reflects the opinions of that hospital. All stories (although based on actual experiences) have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
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5 Responses »

  1. Wanderer on April 25th, 2008 at 7:33 pm:

    Forearm is Wenckebach (technically 2nd degree AV Block, Type I), other is a 12-lead tracing of a inferior wall MI – looks like one nasty STEMI evolving there.

    What would be really hardcore though is that if these EKGs actually happened to the person displaying them…

  2. impactEDnurse on April 25th, 2008 at 8:00 pm:

    100 points and an extra slice of pizza & beer to you mr wanderer!

  3. n on April 26th, 2008 at 3:18 pm:

    i’d like to know about the actual people tattooed, i’m thinking they probably had these happen to them??

  4. PJ on May 3rd, 2008 at 11:58 am:

    They probably just copied them off the internet, most likely not really knowing what they mean. Although I have seen a psych nurse with sinus rhythum on this anterior forearm.

  5. impactEDnurse on May 3rd, 2008 at 2:03 pm:

    Ah yes….psych nurses…..I rest my case.

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