Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
04:18
Methods for Tattooing Xenopus laevis with a Rotary Tattoo Machine
Published on: June 28, 2024
Tattooing and various piercing: anaesthetic considerations
Frédéric J Mercier1, Marie-Pierre Bonnet
1Département d'Anesthésie Réanimation Chirurgicale, Hospitalier Paris Sud, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, 157, rue de la Porte de Trivaux, CLAMART, Cedex 92141, France. frederic.mercier@abc.aphp.fr
Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
|April 23, 2009
Summary
Body art like tattoos and piercings present unique challenges for anesthesiologists. While epidurals are safe with tattoos, oral piercings pose aspiration risks requiring removal before anesthesia.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Medical Review
Background:
- Body art prevalence, including tattooing and piercing, has risen significantly since the 1990s.
- Anesthesiologists increasingly encounter patients with body art, necessitating awareness of associated risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the anesthetic risks and complications associated with tattooing and piercing.
- To discuss the management and prevention strategies for these complications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of anesthetic considerations for patients with body art.
- Analysis of reported complications and theoretical risks.
Main Results:
- Oral and nasal piercings present significant risks of swallowing and aspiration during anesthesia.
- Epidural puncture through tattooed skin has not shown serious complications, though long-term effects are unknown.
- Patients may resist removing piercings due to fear of tract closure.
Conclusions:
- Patients should remove oral and nasal piercings before anesthesia to mitigate aspiration risks.
- Anesthesiologists must be prepared for emergency situations involving piercings and be aware of removal techniques.
- Lumbar tattooing should not preclude epidural anesthesia, but direct puncture through tattoos should be avoided or managed cautiously.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Local Anesthetics: Common Agents and Their Applications
Local anesthetics (LAs) are commonly used for various applications in medical and dental procedures. Some of the common agents used are cocaine, lidocaine, and bupivacaine.
Cocaine is an ester of benzoic acid and methylecgogine. It is used to anesthetize and vasoconstrict locally. Currently, it is used primarily for topical applications. It is beneficial for surgeries on the upper respiratory tract, providing anesthesia and shrinking the mucosa. Cocaine in the form of cocaine hydrochloride is...
Cocaine is an ester of benzoic acid and methylecgogine. It is used to anesthetize and vasoconstrict locally. Currently, it is used primarily for topical applications. It is beneficial for surgeries on the upper respiratory tract, providing anesthesia and shrinking the mucosa. Cocaine in the form of cocaine hydrochloride is...
01:30Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Surface, Infiltration, and Conduction Block Anesthesia
Depending on the target organ, local anesthetics (LAs) can be administered via various routes. In surface anesthesia, LAs are applied directly to the surface of the skin or mucous membranes. It is widely used for topical skin numbing before venipuncture or minor surgical procedures. Commonly used surface local anesthetics are lidocaine or benzocaine sprays or creams. Surface anesthesia occurs within 5 minutes and lasts for about 60 minutes. One of the main disadvantages of topical anesthesia is...
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
01:16Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia
Intravenous regional anesthesia or the Bier block technique is used to anesthetize a specific limb or extremity. It uses exsanguinated or blood-drained vessels to transport local anesthetics or LAs to the peripheral nerve trunks. Lidocaine without vasoconstrictors like epinephrine is most commonly used for this technique. Other drugs used are prilocaine, ropivacaine, and chloroprocaine. Bupivacaine is not recommended for this technique due to its high cardiac toxicity.
One of the advantages of...
One of the advantages of...
01:24General Anesthesia: Overview
Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
01:12Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects
While local anesthetics are generally safe and well-tolerated, they can occasionally cause adverse effects that vary in severity. Local anesthetics can induce toxicity at two distinct levels. They can either produce local effects through direct contact with the neural elements or be absorbed into the bloodstream from the injection site, leading to systemic effects.
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...