Tattoos can serve as:
(1) an aid to identification.
(2) an indicator of gang or criminal behavior
(3) an indicator of health risks (drug misuse, HCV or HIV, mental illness, etc)
(4) a medical message as an alternative to a health bracelet (do not resuscitate, etc)
(5) an insight into the reason for suicide (commemorative tattoo and anniversary reaction, depression)
It is important to examine tattoos carefully since one may mask injuries (including an injection site).
Reasons for caution in use:
(1) 2 people sharing the same tattoo, including a “planted” tattoo to mislead identification.
(2) temporary tattoos
