Embalming Week 7

Single intradermal suture

"Hidden stitch," used on exposed areas of the body and is directed through the subcutaneous tissues only.

What is an ideal rate of flow?

1 gallon of solution in a period of 10-15 minutes without distension.

What rate of flow should be used when embalming children?

10-12 oz per minute; use intermittent drainage to minimize short circuiting

Adolescent

12-18 years

What is a medium index fluid?

18-25

Young Adult

18-25

Toddler

18-48 months

Adult

25 to seventies

Child

4-12 years

What pressure setting is sufficient to overcome most body resistances?

5-20 psi

When should you suture the closures?

After cavity aspiration

Subcutaneous Emphysema

Air trapped in the subcutaneous tissue.

What stops the chemical action of phenol?

Alcohol

Autopsy Suture

Align skin with bridge sutures, start at pubic symphysis and suture superiorly.

What is tissue has caused by?

Anaerobic bacteria.

Surface Embalming

Application of an embalming chemical directly to the surface of the tissues.

External compress

Applied directly to the exposed skin surfaces; afterwards cover with plastic.

How can you treat Fontanelles?

Apply mortuary putty or use cotton.

What can aneurysms be the result of?

Arteriosclerosis

What is the most common and secure suture?

Baseball Suture

Anterior and posterior tibeal incision

Begin distally and suture superiorly.

Infant

Birth to 18 months

Complete Autopsy for infants

Both cranial and trunk cavities are opened and internal organs removed.

Terminal Disinfection

Carried out after the embalming process; comprehensively clean and disinfectant all prep room surfaces.

What is the only effective way to remove gas trapped in the facial tissues?

Channeling

How should you treat cranial and trunk incisions?

Coat in preservative gel and pack vessels with mortuary coagulating putty; apply powders to cavity and cotton to the vault.

Interlocking Suture

Continuous through the closure; thread is passed through the loop created with each Stich; creates a visible ridge on skin surface.

Eyelid Treatment

Cotton can be placed over the eyeball or in combination with an eyecap and saturated with chemical.

Stillborn

Death occurs before or during delivery.

What should you not use to disinfect the prep room?

Disinfectants with formaldehyde or bleach

Radial and Ulnar incisions

Distal portion of the incision medially.

What are considerations when injecting an infant?

Do not use pre-injection fluid; injection volume is case dependent, most likely to use standard arterial and supplemental fluids.

What do hardening compounds contain?

Drying agents

Putting Edema

Excess moisture in the tissue spaces

Solid Edema

Excess moisture with the cells.

Stoma

Exposed part of the bowel

Accessory Chemicals

Formulated for surface embalming; formulated to preserve, cauterize,dry, deodorize, and bleach tissues on contact.

How should you treat maggots?

Hydrocarbon Solvent

How can fetuses and preterm infants be treated?

Hypodermic and surface treatments; arterial injection is likely impractical.

What type of solution index is not recommended for infants?

Hypotonic

Popliteal Suture

Inferior to superior portion.

Nose treatment

Insert cotton saturated with chemical into the nostrils.

Pre-term

Live birth before 37 weeks gestation

Where are sclerotic arteries most noted?

Lower limbs

Brachial Incison

Medial to lateral

Advanced Age

Mid seventies and beyond

Powders

Not effective as gels or liquids.

Common Carotid Artery

Parallel; suture inferior to superior, if lateral suture medial to lateral.

What should never be injected using a machine?

Phenol

Mouth and lip treatments

Placing cotton over the teeth and gums and applying cavity fluid with a syringe and needle; lips can be glued closed.

How should you treat leakage?

Puncture or incision site must be cauterized and re-sealed. Check Clothing

What is best practice when injecting an infant?

Raise and ligate all the arteries prior to injection of the embalming solution.

What should you do if purge us present after embalming?

Reaspirate and re-treat with chemical

Inlays

Restoration compress used in buccaneering cavity, nasal cavity, under autopsied scalp interior walls of autopsied trunk.

What can you use to hide thread?

Restorative waxes and cosmetics

How should you treat mold?

Scrape off and treat area with a phenol compound, dis-spray or dry shampoo

What incision is used to remove pacemakers?

Semilunar Incision

Partial Autopsy on infant

Specific Cavities are opened

Local Autopsy on Infants

Specific organs are targeted. The spine may also be examined

What should you do if distension starts appearing?

Stop injection and reevaluate

Linen Suture

Stronger; used for autopsy, long bone donors, and vessel incision sutures, can use dental floss.

What type of tissue will dehydrate less?

Sufficiently embalmed tissue

Femoral incison

Suture inferior to superior

Double Intradermal Suture

Suture is made with two needles threaded with opposite ends of the same thread.

Axillary Artery Incison

Suture medial to lateral.

Individual Sutures

Temporarily aligns tissues before, during, or after embalming until permanent sutures replace them.

Where should you inject the hands?

The Palmer or dorsal surface; thumb and fined can be injected guiding the needle toward the tip of the digit.

What is the most common vessel selection for non- autopsied infants?

The common carotid artery then the femoral artery

Which leg should you inject first?

The distal leg; to allow the observation of the dye in the solution

Custodial Care

The ethical duty of the funeral home to monitor and perform any treatments necessary until disposition.

What may be the best vessel for young children?

The femoral because they are likely to have open neck clothing and it will not be as sclerotic.

Crepitation

The spongy feeling of gas in the tissues.

Baseball Suture

The type of stitch seen on a baseball cover; used for vascular or autopsy incisions.

What is the primary concern when treating excessive edema?

Tissue Preservation

Hypodermic Embalming in Infants

Treat the back, shoulders, trunk walls, buttocks, and external genitalia to ensure preservation.

Postmortem Treatments

Treatments that occur after arterial and cavity embalming; many variables and embalmers preferences.

What can you do to reduce wrinkles flowing edema removal?

Use an electric spatula

Hypodermic Treatment

Use undiluted arterial or increase the strength of the chemical already in the tank.

3/8 inch circle needle

Used for restorative sutures and to suture incisions made to raise vessels.

What should you use to clean the embalming machine?

Warm water, ammonia, dish soap

What happens as an infant ages?

Water percentage declines and body fat increases.

How can you treat swollen eyelids

Weighted surface compress, cavity fluid on cotton under the eyelids during and after injection, hypodermic injection and tissue reducing spatula.

When should you use a single layer of thread?

When using a tight twisted layer thread, such as dental floss.

When should you use a double strand of thread?

When using cotton or linen

Continuous Stitch

Whip stitch; used to temporarily close long incisions.

Inversion Suture

Worm Suture; used to gather and turn under excess tissues, stitches do not enter the incision except to start the suture.

Decubitus Ulcers

bed sores