A man has died after his tattoo led to a deadly infection.
The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment says the tattoos were done by an unlicensed body artist based out of a home.
The man died from sepsis, caused by the tattoo. Sepsis is a life-threatening response to an infection. It can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
"Anyone can get sepsis as a bad outcome from an infection," said Dr. Mark E. Wallace, Executive Director of the Weld County Health Department.
In Weld County, body art establishments must be licensed by the health department. Artists are required to work at a licensed establishment that meets construction and sanitation standards.
The department stresses that tattoos, piercings, brandings and other body modification can all cause infections.
"Who knows why they do that or why you would choose to do that? I mean, you wouldn't go to a dentist office that's in somebody's house just to save a few bucks," said Nando Mondragon, president of the Certified Customs tattoo shop in Denver. "It's kind of a good example of what could happen because there are no regulations and nobody that's watching, no insurance, nobody checking the sterilizations stuff. It's sad to hear that. Kind of the way it works. You gotta do it the right way."
Any signs of infection in a body art procedure should immediately be reported to the body art establishment, the health department, and your health care provider.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 258,000 Americans die each year from sepsis.
There is no single sign or symptom of sepsis. Symptoms can include typical infection signs as well as any of the following: shivering, fever, or very cold; extreme pain or general discomfort; pale or discolored skin; sleepy, difficult to rouse or confused and shortness of breath.
Treatment for sepsis is usually done in the hospital and involves antibiotics and may include oxygen and intravenous (IV) fluids to maintain normal blood oxygen levels and blood pressure.
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