Lecture Notes Flashcards
Four major factors the embalmer must consider in making a pre-embalming analysis
General condition of the body
Effects produced by disease processes
Effects produced by drugs or surgical procedures
Effects that occur during postmortem interval (from death to embalming)
Intrinsic factors include
Cause and manner of death
Bodily conditions (pathological conditions, microbial influence, moisture content, thermal influences - fever, nitrogenous waste products, gas in tissues or in cavities)
Presence or absence of discoloration a or stains
Post mitten chemical and physical change
Antemortem exposure to pharmaceutical agents (including illegal drugs)
Age
Gender
Weight
Extrinsic factors include
Environmental (atmospheric conditions, thermal influences, microbial influences, vermin and insects, humidity)
Postmortem interval
Embalmer’s education and attitude
The very foundation of professional embalming is
Case analysis
Cause of death is not as important as
Manner of death (circumstances surrounding the body at time of death)
The foundation for our profession is
Reverence for the dead
In the case of edema
You would use a strong solution (36 index, 1 or more bottles per gallon)
In a case of dehydration
You would use a weak solution (16 index, lanolin-based, 6 oz to a gallon)
Thermal influence (high fever produced by a febrile disease)
Will cause clotting issues and bad drainage
Green spot over the cecum
E.coli, anerobic bacteria
Yellow cast to the tissue
Due to dehydration
Golden yellow
Associated with hepatic failure causing jaundice. First seen in the sclera of the eye.
Order of blood in the body after death
- Hypostasis- settling
- Livor mortis- can be cleared with injection
- Hemolysis- breaking down
- Postmortem stain- cannot be cleared with injection, must be covered with opaque cosmetics
For chemotherapy patients you would use
The restricted cervical method. Strong index going down, mild index going up.
A high atmospheric humidity
May reduce dehydration but it will favor early decomposition because heat and moisture are favorable for rapid bacterial growth
A low atmospheric humidity
Will extract moisture from the body causing early dehydration (and may lead to mummification) but it will deter decomposition. It will, however, cause problems with cosmetics due to discolored skin tissue
The cold
Will deter early decomposition, but extreme cold will cause the tissue to burn, as in freezer burn where the tissue will be dark, discolored and crusty. (Fingertips, earlobes, innercanthus, eyes, lips)
The heat
Will hasten decomposition; but in extreme cases, heat will alter the grow of the bacteria (kill it)
Bacterial influence will depend on
The amount of aerobic bacteria in the air causing early decay
The only fixed factor in case analysis is
The concentrated fluid use
Two basic types of embalming
Arterial a.k.a. Vascular embalming
Cavity embalming
Two types of supplemental embalming
Hypodermic- more effective
Surface embalming
Is there a substitute for arterial embalming?
No
What is the center of arterial embalming?
The arch of the aorta
How many quarts of blood does the body have?
6
How many quarts can an embalmer inject without drainage loss or swelling and why?
Up to 20, the surplus fluid will fall into the remaining 2/3 of the capillary bed (very slow injection)
Hyperemia
In life is the congestion of blood within the superficial capillaries of the immediate area of infection or irritation (mosquito bite, infected pimple)
Blushing
In life is the congestion of blood in the superficial capillaries of the face and neck because of nervous or emotional tension
Mottling
In embalming is the congestion of arterial fluid solution in the superficial capillaries during the embalming process (cauliflower effect on tissue)
Flushing
Is the removal of blood drainage from the vascular system or even Livor mortis, but not post morgen stain
Venous drainage
Is he removal of at least 1/2 of the blood volume from the vascular system as a result of pressure and rate of flow induced by injection
The point of injection is not as significant as
The point of drainage
Complications may require
More than one drainage point
Formaldehyde has + soluable albumins =
Insoluable albuminoids
Main truck artery is the aorta main trunk vein is the
Inferior and superior vena cava
Never cut off
ID tags
Rate of elevation prior to embalming
Head above chest, chest above stomach
Face may be tilted to the right how many degrees?
No more than 15 degrees
Always shave
Before embalming
Massage cream
Retards dehydration
Acts as a barrier for purge when applied before embalming
Base for cosmetics
(Plastic wrap over massage cream hold in moisture)
Shape of the mouth
Horseshoe
Shape of the upper lip
Hunting bow or Cupid’s bow
Excessive manipulation of the lips can cause
Swelling (they are very thin and fragile)
When performing a mouth closure
Disinfect and cleanse oral and nasal cavities
Remove, cleanse and disinfect dentures
Relieve rigor mortis
Observe normal overbite
Best mouth closure for securing dentures?
Mandibular
Maryland requires ID tags to be
Attached to a long bone and waterproof
ID tags must have on them
Name SS# DOB DOD Name of funeral home
Outdated and unreliable methods of mouth closure
Chin rest method (nose-chin clamp, over embalmed head to keep mouth closed)
Dental tie (fastening ligature between teeth on the upper and lower jaw)
Hypodermically injecting the Masseter muscles with high index cavity fluid
Tack and thread method (predecessor of the needle injector)
Drywall adhesive, liquid nail (teeth glued together)
Reliable methods of mouth closure
Muscular suture
Mandibular suture (best method for false teeth)
Needle injector
Wire through bones (used in cases of disease or trauma to the head)
Embalming analysis a.k.a. Case analysis
The sum total of those considerations given the case at hand, beginning before the embalming procedure is begun and continuing through the operation. (Continues afterwards and can change during embalming)
Frenulum
A fold of mucous membrane that connects the gums to the inner lining of the lip
Philtrum
The groove on the upper lip under the nose
When teeth are missing you’ll want to use
Non moisture absorbing cotton
Why should you not mix glue and batting cotton?
Creates cyanide gas
Mouth is the most prominent facial feature in
Death
The eyes are the most prominent facial feature in
Life
Features are always posed
Prior to injection
Lip closure methods
Wet cotton strip method
Intradermal suture method
Cohesive method
Straight pin method
Poze injector
Embalming equipment used to inject a substance into the mouth, giving the deceased a more life-like appearance by filling out the mouth
Buck teeth a.k.a. Dental prognatheism treatment
Cutting frenulum will give you more stretch
ABFSE = American board of funeral service education
Writes curriculum and accredits mors programs
ICFSEB = international conference of funeral service examining board
Writes the national board exam
Eye enucleation restoration should be done
Only after arterial embalming because of leakage of blood, bodily fluid and excess arterial fluid
If entire eye is taken
Cauterize eye socket (phenol)
Insert prosthesis
Insert eye cap
Use adhesive
Corneal sclerosis button excision
Aspirate center of eyeball
Do not rip and loose tissue on eyeball
Apply incision sealer powder into the now hollow eyeball, insert cotton ball, then eye caps, then glue
Elbows should be kept
Close to the sides
Hands are always left over right, how do you keep fingers down?
Wrap hands and fingers with a towel
Chin and chest positioning
Him should not be too high or too low, chest should be even with the rim of the casket
Perfection half couch casket
Body should be centered utilizing head panel acting as a picture frame
What should never be done during casketing and why?
Pillow under the shoulders. Makes the shoulders more accentuated especially with the obese
First embalming method
Gravity method
Glass bottle or perculator attached to a valentine tube
1ft=.434 pounds of pressure
1 pound of pressure for every 28 inches
Constant flow, low cost, no electricity
Limited pressure range, small unit of volume, inconvenient to fill
Simplest form of injection
Bulb syringe
Usually used in combination with the gravitation method
Valves in the syringe prevent regergitation of fluids when bulb is squeezed
Convenient, inexpensive,nap me variation of pressure, no electricity
Rubber deteriorates, constant use of one hand, variable pressure with unknown maximum
Manual injection, hand pump and jug method
Hand operated double action pump
Uses a gooseneck
Air is pumped into the jar which forces the arterial fluid into the body (displacement principle)
Process can be reversed for aspiration
Wide pressure range, both injection and aspiration,increased resistance to vascular system can be detected by operators thumb, no electricity
Inconvenient to refill,constant use of one hand, no pressure gauge or regulator, producing swelling of neck and face due to pressure
Air pressure machine
Any mechanical apparatus in which a column of air is forced under pressure into a fluid chamber, displacing the fluid solution and moving it out into the arterial system
Mechanical machine or Eckel’s embalming machine
Motorized air compressor
Hydraulic machine or Moore embalming machine
Attaches to a water faucet
Compressed air canister, CO2 canister, or metallic cylinder
CO2 canister and cylinder cannot aspirate like the other air pressure machines
Motorized centrifugal forces pump machine
Modern day embalming machine, provides flexibility of pressure range and ease of control
Belt driven machine containing a 2-4 gallon tank with at least a rate of flow and a pressure control and needing no auxiliary equipment
Never leave tank dry, base plate gasket will oxidate
Automatic rate of flow cut off
Some machines will shut off if a blockage is detected
