Embalming 1 Exam 3 Flashcards
changes prior to death (somatic) but still can effect embalming
ANTEMORTEM (AGONAL) CHANGES
Ante Mortem (Agonal) Changes
- Thermal changes
- Blood changes
- Moisture changes
- Translocation of M.O.
- Gases in the tissues
any change in body temperature; rising or fallen
THERMAL CHANGES
a. Agonal Fever
b. Agonal Algor
an increase in body temperature prior to somatic death
i) Commonly found in infectious diseases
ii) Speeds the rate of rigor mortis and decomposition
AGONAL FEVER
decrease in body temperature prior to somatic death.
i) Due to slow metabolism and poor circulation also environment
ii) Slows the onset of rigor mortis and decomposition
AGONAL ALGOR
the settling of blood and or other fluids to the dependent portions of the body (before death)
BLOOD CHANGES
HYPOSTASIS (ante mortem)
the loss of moisture from the human body prior to somatic death
i) Could result in the thickening of the blood and dehydration of certain tissue
MOISTURE CHANGES
b. AGONAL DEHYDRATION
(clots) congealing of the blood
BLOOD CHANGES
COAGULATION
the escape of blood serum from and intravascular to extravascular location immediately before death
i) There is an increase in moisture in the tissue and cavities
ii) Results from capillary expansion
iii) Speeds the decomposition process
iv) How will this affect the strength of your diluted arterial fluid? Increase strength
MOISTURE CHANGES
a) AGONAL EDEMA
movement of MO from one area of the body to another
a) An example is from the intestinal area to the blood vascular system due to capillary
permeability changes
b) It occurs as organisms normally confined to an area of the body by natural body defenses are
able to move as the body loses its ability to keep them in check
TRANSLOCATION OF MO’S
before death under the skin ruptured alveii
i) It has no odor no skin slip rises to highest body areas can increase intense swelling
ii) Results from a puncture of lung or pleural sac
iii) Seen in cardiopulmonary resuscitation treatments; puncture wounds to the thorax from rib
fractures
GASES IN THE TISSUES
a. ANTEMORTEM SUBCUTANEOUS EMPHYSEMA
(1) Include channel tissues after arterial injections to release gas
(2) Establish good arterial preservation
(3) Gas may escape through incision
GASES IN THE TISSUES
ANTEMORTEM SUBCUTANEOUS EMPHYSEMA TREATMENTS:
POST MORTEM CHANGES
1) POST MORTEM PHYSICAL CHANGES
2) POST MORTEM CHEMICAL CHANGES
3) POST MORTEM STAIN
4) POST MORTEM CALORICITY
5) RIGOR MORTIS
6) CHANGES IN pH
7) DECOMPOSITION
8) PTOMAINS PRODUCES
9) END PRODUCTS OF DECOMPOSITION
10) ORDER OF DECOMP - BODY COMPOUNDS
11) ORDER OF DECOMP - BODY ORGANS
12) FACTORS GOVERNING DECOMPOSITION
POST MORTEM PHYSICAL CHANGES
a) ALGOR MORTIS
b) HYPOSTASIS (POST MORTEM)
c) LIVER MORTIS (CADAVERIC LIVIDITY)
d) DEHYDRATION (DESSICATION)
e) INCREASE IN VISCOSITY OF BLOOD
f) IMBIBITION
A series of physical and chemical changes that occur between the period of somatic death and embalming; the longer the time between death and embalming; the more changes will occur
POST MORTEM CHANGES
post mortem cooling of the body to the surrounding temperature. The internal organs will cool slower than the surface tissues
ALGOR MORTIS
ALGOR MORTIS Influencing
INTRINSIC FACTORS: - physical part of body
(1) CORPULENCE
(2) AGE
(3) CAUSE OF DEATH
the amount of adipose tissue. Larger individuals cool slowly; thin cool faster
CORPULENCE
a child will cool faster than an adult
AGE
febrile diseases will slow the onset; wasting diseases can speed the onset
CAUSE OF DEATH
ALGOR MORTIS Influencing
EXTRINSIC FACTORS: – outside the body
(1) AMOUNT OF CLOTHING – covering the body
(2) TEMPATURE AND HUMIDITY
(3) EMBALMING INFLUENCE – cooling of the body will slow the onset of decomposition
the pooling or settling of blood and or other fluids to the dependent or lowest portions of the body
i) Because of an increase of moisture bacterial activity could be high
ii) Increase moisture will increase the preservative demand for body regions in which hypostasis has occurred
iii) Hypostasis will cause liver mortis
HYPOSTASIS (POST MORTEM)
the post mortem intravascular red-blue discoloration resulting from the hypostasis of blood i) Can it be removed with normal arterial injection and venous draining? Yes
ii) Why? Because it is intravascular
LIVER MORTIS (CADAVERIC LIVIDITY)
The loss of moisture from the dead human body The main cause is either:
(1) Surface evaporation
(2) Embalming solution
(3) hypostasis
DEHYDRATION (DESSICATION)
This results in the formation of blood clots
Type of post mortem clots:
(1) Current jelly clot – long stringy jelly like; fast forming and most common
(2) Chicken fat clots – slow forming small and yellow in color
INCREASE IN VISCOSITY OF BLOOD –
absorption of the fluid portion of blood by the tissues after death resulting in post mortem edema
IMBIBITION
changes after death in chemical composition
POST MORTEM CHEMICAL CHANGES
looks like liver mortis; most permanent type of blood discoloration encounter in embalming
a) Any extravascular color change that occurs when heme released by hemoglobin of red blood cells seeps thru the vessel walls and into the tissue
b) Results from Hemolysis
c) Hemolysis – destruction of red blood cells that liberates hemoglobin
d) Hemolysis begins approximately 6-10 hours after death
e) Since post mortem stain is extravascular it generally will not be removed with normal arterial
injection and venous drainage
f) May be bleached
POST MORTEM STAIN
slight rise in boy temperature following somatic death
a) Results from cellular metabolism after somatic death
b) This occurs until the entire oxygen supply is used
POST MORTEM CALORICITY
the post mortem temporary stiffening of the body muscles due to a natural chemical body process
a) Marks the end of muscle cell life
b) Generally appears in the average body 2 to 4 hours after death
RIGOR MORTIS
the relaxation of the muscles immediately after somatic death
PRIMARY FLACCIDITY
the relaxation of the muscles after rigor mortis passes in an unembalmed body; after 4 hours death
SECONDARY FLACCIDITY
RIGOR MORTIS PRIMARY FLACCIDITY SECONDARY FLACCIDITY Order of appearance and disappearance Physical methods of reducing Rigor Mortis Influence on embalming
Order of appearance and disappearance: Muscles of the eyes Muscles of the face Muscles of the neck Muscles of the upper extremities Muscles of the trunk/torso Muscles of the lower extremities
Physical methods of reducing Rigor Mortis Flexing Extending Rotation Massaging Once relived it never returns
Influence on embalming:
May be difficult in establishing a position of the body
May be difficult in posing the features
Give a false sign of preserved tissue
May restrict fluid distribution
The acidic pH does not provide a good medium for reaction with the arterial fluid
primary flaccidity (softness) initial softness of body after death; maximum rigor mortis is 5 pH
After secondary flaccidity (softness) preservation demand increases
Muscle in which rigor mortis is present will not decompose because the acid present inhibits bacterial activity
pH scale runs from 0-14; 7 is neutral above is alkaline and below is acidic; 0-7 acidic; to 0 more acidic; 7-14 alkaline; to 14 more alkaline
a) Normal pH of the blood and tissues of the body is approximately 7.4
b) After death lactic acid begins to accumulate in the muscle tissues (results are rigor mortis)
c) The pH will drop to an acid level of 5 or below
d) As protein breaks down (decomp) there is a gradual build up in the tissues of nitrogen products such as ammonia (alkaline used to neutralize cavity fluid)
e) The ammonia neutralizes the acids in the tissue f) Therefore the pH of the tissues become alkaline
g) Because the ammonia present acts to neutralize formaldehyde there is a greater preservation demand during decomposition
CHANGES IN pH
the separation of compounds into simpler substances by the action of microbial and or autolytic enzymes
DECOMPOSITION
Types of decomposition
i) PROTEOLYSIS
ii) LIPOLYSIS
iii) FERMENTATION
iv) SACCHORLYSIS
v) HYDROLYSIS
vi) AUTOLYSIS
decomposition of protein; any type of protein occur in the presence or absence of oxygen
PROTEOLYSIS
(1) PUTREFACTION
(2) DECAY
decomposition of proteins by the action of enzymes from anaerobic (absence of free O2) bacteria; named for horrific/foul smell; advances much quicker than the form of proteolysis that occurs in the presence of oxygen; occurs more than decay.
PUTREFACTION
decomposition of proteins by enzymes of aerobic (the presence of free O2) bacteria
DECAY
the decomposition of fat
LIPOLYSIS
1) ADIPOCERE (GRAVE WAX
white crumbly; formed as result of lipolysis. Begins within days of death and becomes visible in about 3 months. It will prevent decomposition under that layer
ADIPOCERE (GRAVE WAX)
the bacterial decomposition of carbohydrates
FERMENTATION
the decomposition of sugars or carbohydrates
SACCHORLYSIS
key method decomposition occurs for protein fat sugars; a reaction in which water is one of the reactants and compounds are often broken down.
HYDROLYSIS
self destruction of cells, decomposition of all tissues by enzymes of their own formulations without microbial assistance
AUTOLYSIS
(1) LYSOSOMES
cell organelle that contains digestive enzymes in autolysis. When the pH of the tissue becomes acidic it causes the lysosomes to rupture (triggers release of lysosomes).
In the presence of water, the released enzymes begin to digest carbohydrates, protein and fats. Special structures that contain autolytic enzymes
LYSOSOMES
a) Putrescine - largely responsible for the foul odor of putrefying flesh
b) Cadaverine - largely responsible for the foul odor of putrefying flesh
c) Indie
d) Skatole-occurs naturally in feces and has a strong fecal odor
PTOMAINS PRODUCES
END PRODUCTS OF DECOMPOSITON
a) Carbon dioxide CO2
b) Water H2O
c) AmmoniaNH3
d) Hydrogen H
e) Hydrogen Sulfide H2S
f) Nitrogen N
g) Methane CH4
h) Phosphoric Acid
i) Sulfuric Acid
ORDER OF DECOMP - BODY COMPOUNDS
a) Carbohydrates
b) Protein
c) Fats
d) Bones
e) Does NOT change if body is embalmed or not
ORDER OF DECOMP - BODY ORGANS
a) First-Lining membrane of the trachea and larynx
i) Except for the brain of an infant and the pregnant uterus
b) Last – non-pregnant uterus or large blood vessels
FACTORS GOVERNING DECOMPOSITION
Intrinsic – within the body
i) Corpulence – having an abnormal amount of fat on the body
ii) Cause and manner of death – infectious diseases, faster
iii) Age – infants and elderly decompose faster than adults
iv) Amount of bacteria present in and on the body v) Sex
vi) Pharmaceutical agents
FACTORS GOVERNING DECOMPOSITION
Extrinsic – outside the body
i) Temperature
(1) Optimum – 98 to 100 F
(2) Minimum – 32 F
(3) Maximum – 120 F
ii) Humidity – warm moist air will accelerate decomposition
iii) Bacterial and parasitic
iv) Vermin, including maggots, rats and licePost Mortem Physical Changes Review
- Algor Mortis
- Hypostasis
- Livor Mortis
- Dehydration
- Increase in viscosity
- Imbibition
Post Mortem Chemical Changes Review
- Post Mortem Stain
- Post Mortem Caloricity
- Rigor Mortis
- Change in pH
- Decomposition
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Signs of Decomposition:
- Color change:
- Odor: penetrating, nauseating
- Purge:
- Accumulation of gas in the viscera cavities and other body tissue
- Desquamation (skin slip):
first external sign of decomposition is (greenish discoloration) over the lower right quadrant of the abdomen
Color change:
the post mortem evacuation of any substance from an external body orifice as a result of pressure
Purge:
a separation of the epidermis from the underlying dermis, resulting in a sloughing of the epidermis
Desquamation (skin slip):
Products of Decomposition
Protein - amino acids (building blocks of protein) Fats - fatty acids
Carbohydrates - simple sugars
Ptomaines - result from the breaking down of amino acids
