Drug Interactions with Embalming Chemicals

What are the characteristics of chemotherapy?

-Impairs function of liver, circulatory system, kidneys, lungs and skin
-Organ dysfunction leads to buildip of nitrogenous wastes and decreases the permeability of cell membranes
-Chemo drugs themselves can cause damage to blood vessels as a result of extensive clot formation, lysis of blood cells or extensive damage to the walls of arteries and veins
-Widespread formation of areas of discoloration from release of blood pigments from red blood cells is normal in chemo patients
-Ecchymosis and purpural hemorrhages are frequent in these cases

What is characteristic of chemotherapy with antibiotics?

-It is routine for doctors to prescribe two or more antibiotics at the same time
-Intensifies embalming problems
-When gentamicin and methicillin are combined, bodies tend to become saturated with ammonia and other nitrogenous waste products
-Requires very strong arterial fluid

What is characteristic of corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs?

-Corticosteroids are known to decrease the permeability of the cell membrane. The liquids in these cells become trapped and lead to cell turgor and waterlogging of tissues
-Long temr usage of cortisone may result in gastrointestinal ulcerations with possible perforations of the gut
-Corticosteroids exert a protective effect on proteolutic enzymes, making them difficult to denature
-Because of this, bodies that appear to have had a trouble free embalming often go bad shortly afterward
-Similar protective effects that have been observed on cases that we’re using oral contraceptives (progesterone)
-Partients on corticosteroids have been known to harbor TB that was thought to be cured, but returns postmortem
-Cases in which it is known that corticosteriods were involved will require pre-injections with surfactants to facilitate entry of preservatives into cells followed by stronger than normal arterial injections

What do cytotoxic drugs do?

-Act directly on tumor cells to bring about their death
-Kill both malignant and normal cells, releasing nitrogenous wastes

What do antimetabolite drugs do?

substitute essential metabolites required by cancer cells for growth
-Causes extensive vitamin deficiency, scurvy and brittle rickets like bone disease

What are the characteristics of tranquilizers and mood altering drugs?

-Complicate embalming as there is a lack of protein from malnourishment
-Jaundice occurs as these drugs destroy liver cells and cause hemolysis of red blood cells
-Kidney function is impaired, leading to constipation and a lack of waste materials exiting the body

What is characteristic of oral drugs that control diabetes?

-Chlorpropamide can cause jaundice
-Continuous use of oral diabetic agents has been linked with circulatory problems and extensive clot formation
-Altered carbohydrate metabolism in these cases can cause acidosis, which forms high concentrations of lactid acid which makes bodies feel firm very quickly and produce a false positive to the embalmer