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PHT 201 - Embalming I > Agonal Period and Pre-embalming Changes > Flashcards

Agonal Period and Pre-embalming Changes Flashcards

1
Q

Agonal Period

A

Period immediately BEFORE somatic death.

The body experiences an expanding inability to sustain the physiologic and metabolic processes necessary for life. Considered to be moribund or actively in the process of dying

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2
Q

Moribund

A

Actively in the process of dying

**TEST QUESTION**

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3
Q

Physical observations during agonal period

A

Presence of death rattle, respiratory gurgling caused by excessive mucous accumulated due to loss of cough reflex.
Semi-convulsive twitches called a death struggle.

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4
Q

Somatic Death

A

Death to the organism as a whole.
When the body can no longer support vital life functions.
First in a series of events resulting in postmortem cellular death.

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5
Q

Clinical Death

A

Cessation of spontaneous respiration and heartbeat heralds the beginnings of clinical death.

A person can still be resuscitated during this phase

THIS IS THE ONLY PHASE OF SOMATIC DEATH THAT IS REVERSIBLE test question

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6
Q

Brain Death

A

A result of prolonged cessation of respiration and heartbeat.
Brain and nervous system cells begin to die within 5 min w/out oxygen.

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7
Q

Biological Death

A

When simple life processes of various organs and tissues of the body cease, it is referred to as biological death.
Restoration of respiration and circulation are impossible at this point.

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8
Q

Postmortem Cellular Death

A

Begins when…

  • individual cells have used up stored elements, or
  • When they’re overcome by automatic processes and die.

Cells which are more specialized and/or active will respond more quickly to decreases level of O2 or nutrients.

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9
Q

Changes During the Agonal Period

A

Will dictate which measures the embalmer must take to establish effective preservation

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10
Q

Agonal Changes include:

A

1) Temperature of the body
2) Ability of the body to circulate blood
3) Moisture content of tissues
4) Translocation of microorganisms within the body

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11
Q

Agonal Algor

A

Cooling off the body just prior to death
test question

  • Often seen in elderly people dying slowly
  • A result of metabolism and circulation slowing
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12
Q

Agonal Fever

A

Increase in body temperature just before death.

  • Common in persons dying of infections, toxemia, or certain types of poisoning
  • Elevated temperatures stimulate microbial growth
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13
Q

Agonal Hypostasis

A

Involves the settling of blood into dependent tissues of the body.
-A result of slowing down circulation and gravitation of fluids to lower places

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14
Q

Agonal Coagulation

A

Clotting of formed blood elements due to the lack of movement within the vascular system.

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15
Q

Agonal Capillary

A

Expansion happens when the body, in an attempt to obtain more oxygen, opens the pores in the walls of capillaries to let more O2 rich blood into tissues.

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16
Q

Agonal Moisture Changes

A

Best to consider in terms of a “shift” in moisture from one place in the body to another.

One of two things happen:

1) Agonal Edema
2) Agonal Dehydration

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17
Q

Agonal Edema

A

Causes an increase in the amount of moisture or fluids into the tissues and body cavities.

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18
Q

Translocation of Microorganisms

A

Begins as an organism loses its ability to keep them in check. Normally contained to specific body areas by natural body defenses.

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19
Q

Microorganism move for 3 reasons:

A

1) They have natural motility
2) They’ve entered the blood stream and circulate to other areas of the body
3) Gravity moves them to other places during hypostasis or other shifts in tissue moisture

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20
Q

Postmortem Physical Changes

A

Changes in the body brought about by physical forces such as gravity acting upon it.

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21
Q

Postmortem Chemical Changes

A

Changes in the body that occur when chemicals react with other chemicals to form new compositions (i.e. the autolytic processes of cells)

22
Q

Algor Mortis

A

Postmortem cooling of the body

23
Q

Rate of algor mortis cooling depends on intrinsic or extrinsic factors such as:

A

1) Ratio of surface area of the body to body mass
2) Body temperature at the time of death
3) Some combination of the first two

24
Q

Algor Mortis

Intrinsic factors:

A

Circumstances that affect the body that originate from within the body itself

1) Body size
2) Elevates or depressed body temperature at the time of death

25
Q

Algor Mortis

Extrinsic factors:

A

Things that are in the environment that affect the body from the outside.

1) Body coverings
2) Temperature of the environment

26
Q

Postmortem Hypostasis

A

Process of settling of the blood AFTER death. It’s the PROCESS, not the discoloration itself.

1) Can be affected by ligatures or other restrictions that inhibit free movement of blood within vascular system, known as contact pallor
2) Thinner blood moves more easily

27
Q

Factors influencing postmortem hypostasis:

A
  • Temperature
  • Medication
  • Disease processes
28
Q

Livor Mortis

A

1) Postmortem intravascular discoloration
2) Appears within 1/2 to 2 hours after death
3) Result of hypostasis
4) aAlso called postmortem lividity or cadaveric lividity
5) Begins as a dull reddish patch that turns reddish-blue
6) Can be removed using the embalming process

29
Q

Two factors that affect the degree of livor mortis:

A

1) Blood volume

2) Blood viscosity

30
Q

What is postmortem dehydration?

A

Loss of water from body tissues and fluids by surface evaporation

31
Q

Factors involved with postmortem dehydration

A

1) Surface evaporation
- Passage of air currents over the surface of the body
2) Gravity or Hypostasis
- Movement of fluids from higher areas of the body to lower areas of the body.

32
Q

Postmortem edema

A
  • Fluids which have gravitated downward within the body have engorged some part of that body
  • Typically lower extremities and distal portions of the arms
33
Q

Imbibation

A

The process whereby dependent cells draw moisture into themselves, becoming edematous

34
Q

Sludge (Cake batter!)

A
  • Extremely viscous blood that results from postmortem dehydration
  • Formed blood elements that clump together and are very difficult to remove
35
Q

Dehydration causes

A
  • Surface discolorations
  • Increased blood viscosity
  • Causes when liquid portion of blood gravitates down and leaves the more solid portion residing within the vessels
  • Agglutinated blood cells can clog smaller vessels during injection and hinder blood removal.
36
Q

Translocation of microorganism factors:

A

1) Chemical and physical changes
2) Movement and positional changes in the body
3) Passive recirculating of blood from contaminated body sites
4) Thrombus (blood clot) fragmentation and relocation
5) Inherent true mobility of many intestinal bacilli

37
Q

Clostridium Perfringens**

A
  • Most troublesome organism to the embalmer
  • Gas producing anaerobic bacillus responsible for the production of true tissue gas (embalmers worst nightmare)
  • If present, tissue distention to a point beyond recognition can occurs within 1 to 2 hours
  • All instruments used on C.perfingens cases must be thoroughly decontaminated
38
Q

Postmortem Caloricity

A

Heat produced after death due to a sustained metabolism which occurs when there’s still oxygen available for cells to use

39
Q

Two phases of caloricity are:

A

1) Anabolism: the building phase

2) Catabolism: the breakdown phase

40
Q

Postmortem Stain

A
  • Extravascular discoloration due to hemolysis after death
  • Red blood cells that have settled due to livor mortis breakdown that release their hemoglobin and decomposes into globin and heme

-Begins between 6 to 10 hours after death

41
Q

What cannot be removed via arterial injection?

**

A

Postmortem stain.

The heme that moves through the walls and pores of capillaries and stains the tissues a reddish color

42
Q

Normal body pH is? ***

A

7.4 pH (slightly alkaline)

43
Q

Rigor mortis happens between 2 events:

**

A

1) Primary flaccidity: total muscle reaction after death

2) Secondary flaccidity: muscle relaxation after rigor has passed

44
Q

Rigor will usually pass between ______ from the unembalmed body

A

36 and 72 hours

45
Q

First muscle to have rigor mortis

A

Eye

46
Q

Rigor mortis won’t happen below ____ and above ____

A

32F and 120F

47
Q

Rigor mortis ideal temperatures

A

Between 98 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit

48
Q

Order of Decomposition

A
  • Cells
  • Tissues
  • Organs
  • Vascular
49
Q

Classic signs of decomposition

A

1) Color
2) Odor
3) Skin slip
4) Gases
5) Purge

Can be preset to without all 5 signs being present

50
Q

Types of purge

A
  • Stomach purge
  • Lung purge
  • Brain purge
51
Q

What is decomposition?

A

A breakdown of the peptide linkages between proteins via catalytic enzymes

PHT 201 - Embalming I (14 decks)

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