Vocabulary (P's) Flashcards
Liquids or gels, usually available in spray or pack form, which are generally used in cases of skin slip, ulcerations and other surface involvements.
Pack Application aka Surface Application
Embalming instrument used in filling the external orfiices of the body.
Packing Forceps
To examine by touch.
Palpate
A plastic garment which fits tightly around the waist and thighs of the deceased to guard against leakage and to avoid stains and odors.
Pants
Incision on the surface of the skin to raise the common carotid arteries, it is made along the posterior border of the inferior one-third of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
Parallel Incision
Sustances which temporarily or permanently inhibits and enzyme’s action.
Paralyzer or Inactivator
Piercing mucous membranes or the skin barrier through such events as needlesticks, human bites, cuts and abrasions.
Parenteral
In contaminated air, the parts of vapor or gas (formaldehyde) per million parts of air by volume; in solution the parts of chemical per million parts of solution.
Parts Per Million aka PPM
Occurs when venous drainage from an area is deceased.
Passive Capillary Congestion
Method by which solutes and/or solvents cross through a membrane with no energy provided by the cells of the membrane. In embalming, examples include pressure filtration, dialysis, diffusion, and osmosis.
Passive Transport System
Capable of producing disease.
Pathogenic
Diseased; due to a disease.
Pathological Condition
Antemortem discoloration that occurs during the course of certain diseases; gangrene and jaundice.
Pathological Discoloration
Substance able to distroy lice
Pediculicide
Effected through unbroken skin.
Percutaneous
Chemicals found in embalming arterial formulations having the capability of displacing an unpleasant odor or of altering an unpleasant odor so that it is converted to a more pleasant one.
Perfuming Agents aka Masking Agents aka Reodorants
To force a fluid through (an organ or tissue), especially by way of the blood vessels; injection during vascular (arterial) embalming.
Perfusion
Weakness in the extremities due to damage or degeneration of the peripheral nerves.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Inflammation of the peritoneum, the membranous coat lining the abdominal cavity and investing the viscera.
Peritonitis
The maximum legal limits established by OSHA for regulated substances these are based on employee exposure that are time-weighted over and eight hour work shift. When these limits are exceeded, employers must take proper steps to reduce employee exposure. For Formaldehyde, the PEL is .75 ppm.
Permissible Exposure Limit aka PEL
Those items of protection worn to minimize exposure to hazards; those worn by the embalmer to avoid contact with blood and other body fluids.
Personal Protective Equipment aka PPE
Agents destructive to adult forms of insect life.
Pesticide aka Insecticide
Antemortem, pinpoint, extravascular blood discoloration visible as purplish hemorrhages of the skin.
Petechia
Degree of acidity or alkalinity. The scale ranges from 0 to 14. ) being completely acid, 14 completely basic, and 7 neutral. Blood has a pH of 7.35-7.45.
pH (Potential of Hydrogen)
Drugs or medicines.
Pharmaceutical Agents
An antiseptic/disinfectant employed to dry moist tissues and to bleach.
Phenol aka Carbolic Acid
The vertical groove located medially on the superior lip; a natural facial marking.
Philtrum
Extreme sensitivity to light.
Photophobia
A change in the form or state of matter without any change in chemical composition.
Physical Change
Changes which are not primarily responsible for alterations in chemical composition and properties of the body substances.
Physical Postmortem Changes
Postdeath alteration in the vody that comprises a physical and a chemical change, for example, rigor mortis, wherein there is a change in pH of the tissues and a stiffening of the muscles.
Physicochemical Postmortem Change
Condition in which interstitial spaces contain such excessive amounts of fluid that the skin remains depressed after palpation.
Pitting Edema
Preparation room equipment used to reduce neck swelling by variable air pressure.
Pneumatic Collar
Acute infection or inflammation of the alveoli. The alveolar sacs fill up with fluid and dead white blood cells. Causes include bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Pneumonia
General term used to denote any prolonged inhalation of mineral dust.
Pneumoconiosis
Any substance that imperils health or life when absorbed into the body.
Poison
Concerning an entrance to an organ, especially that through which the blood is carried to the liver.
Portal
Preparation room equipment for properly positioning bodies prior to, during, and after vascular embalming.
Positioning Embalming
That time period after the arterial injection.
Postembalming
Toward the back.
Posterior
Established by drawing a line along the fold of skin which envelops the lateral border of the latissimus dorsi muscle.
Posterior Boundary
Period that begins after somatic death.
Postmortem
An embalming instrument for aspirating liquid materials from the trunk cavity of autopsied case.
Postmortem Aspirator aka Autopsy Aspirator
The changing of the blood from a liquid to a semi-solid or from a semi-solid to a solid.
Postmortem Blood Coagulation
The rise in temperature after death due to continued cellular metabolism.
Postmortem Caloricity
Change in the body’s chemical composition that occurs after death (e.g. decomposition, change in body pH, rigor mortis, postmortem stain, postmortem caloricity).
Postmortem Physical Changes
Extravascular color change that occurs when heme, released by hemolysis of red blood cells, seeps through the vessel walls and into the body tissues.
Postmortem Stain aka Laking
Pure or drinkable water. Non-potable is contaminated or undrinkable water.
Potable Water
The pressure indicated by the injector gauge needle when the injector motor is running and the arterial tubing is clamped off.
Potential Pressure
Those sealing compounds which are used within vascular incisions, wounds, ulcerations, or other moist areas of the body.
Powders
Embalming equipment used to inject a substance into the mouth, giving the deceased a more life-like appearance by filling out the mouth.
Poze Injector
A substance bringing about precipitation. The oxilates formerly used in water condition chemicals are new illegal because of the poisonous nature to the embalmer.
Precipitant
Fluid injected primarily to prepare the vascular system and body tissues for the injection of the preservation vascular (arterial) solution. This solution is injected before the preservation vascular solution is injected.
Preinjection Fluid aka Primary Injection Fluid
That area or facility wherein embalming, dressing, cosmetizing, or other body preparation are effected.
Preparation Room
The science of treating the body chemically so as to temporarily inhibit decomposition.
Preservation aka Temporary Preservation
Chemicals which inactivate saprophytic bacteria, render unsuitable for nutrition the media upon decomposition such bacteria thrive, and which will arrest by altering enzymes and lysins of the body as well as converting the decomposable tissues to be form less susceptible to decomposition.
Preservation aka Fixers
Amount of preservation (formaldehyde) required to effectively preserve remains depends on the condition of the tissues as determined in the embalming analysis.
Preservative Demand aka Formaldehyde Demand
Chemical in power form; typically used for surface embalming of the remains.
Preservative Powder
The action of a force against an opposing force (a force applied or acting against resistance)
Pressure
That pressure which is indicated by the injector gauge needle when the arterial tube is open and the arterial solution is flowing into the body.
Actual Pressure
The pressure exerted by the blood on the vessel walls measured in millimeters of mercury.
Blood Pressure
The difference between potential and actual pressure.
Differential Pressure
The amount of pressure produced by an injection device to overcome initial resistance within (intravascular) or on (extravascular) the vascular system (arterial or venous).
Injection Pressure
The pressure developed as the flow of embalming solution is established and the elastic arterial walls expand and then contract, resulting in filling of the capillary beds and development of pressure filtration.
Intravascular Pressure
The pressure indicated by the injector gauge needle when the injector motor is running and the arterial tubing is clamped off.
Potential Pressure
A motorized injector used to create positive pressure as required in vascular embalming.
Pressure Embalming Machine
Positive intravascular pressure causing passage of embalming solution through the capillary causing passage of embalming fluid from an intravascular to an wall to diffuse with the interstitial fluids; extravascular position.
Pressure Filtration
The dilution attained as the embalming solution is mised in embalming machine.
Primary Dilution
Disinfection carried out prior to the embalming process.
Primary Disinfection
Veins or veins initially selected for use in the embalming procedure.
Primary Drainage Site
A period immediately following death and before rigor mortis occurs, where the muscles of the body are limp and flaccid.
Primary Flaccidity
Artery or arteries initially selected for use in the embalming procedure.
Primary Injection Site
The person who has the legal right/custody of the body and can choose whatever type of final disposition.
Primary Right of Disposition aka PRD
Small proteinaceous infectious agents (particles) which almost certainly do not have a nucliec acid genoma and therefore resist inactivation by procedure that modify nucleic acids. Prion diseases are often called spongiform encephalopathies because of the post mortem appearance of the brain with large vacuoloes in the cortex and cerebellum.
Prion
As related to docomposition the conversion of fatty tissues of the body into a soapy waxy substance called adipocere or grave wax.
Process of Soap Formation (Saponification)
The recovery of organs or tissues from a cadaver for transplantation purpose.
Procurement
Projection of the jaw or jaws that may cause problems with mouth closure alignment of the teeth.
Prognathism
Tending to ward off disease; preventative.
Prophylactic
Organic compound found in plants and animals; can be broken down into amino acids.
Protein
Decomposition of proteins.
Proteolysis
The state or condition of being thrust forward or projecting.
Protrusion
A part that is prominent beyond a surface, like a knob.
Protuberance
Any one of a group of nitrogenous organic compounds formed by the action of putrefactive bacteria on proteins; indole, skatole, cadaverine, and putrescine.
Ptomaine
The fibrocartilage that joins the two pubic bones in the median plane.
Pubic Symphysis
A hole or wound resulting from piercing.
Puncture
Postmortem evacuation of any substance from an external orifice of the body as a result of pressure.
Purge
A suture made around the circumference of a circular opening or puncture to close it or to hold the margins in position.
Purse String Suture
Liquid product of inflammation containing various proteins and leukocytes.
Pus
Characteristic pus-filled structure of a disease, such as a smallpox, syphilis, and acne.
Pustular Lesion
Small elevation of the skin with an inflamed base, containing pus.
Pustule
Decomposition of proteins by the action of enzymes from anaerobic bacteria.
Putrefaction
