embalming ch5 [1+2]

In the presence of free oxygen.

Aerobic

Soft whitish crumbly or greasy material that forms upon the postmortem hydrolysis and hydrogenation of body fats.

Adipocere (Grave Wax)

Decrease in body temperature immediately before death.

Agonal Algor

dilation of pores within the capillaries in an effort to send more oxygen to the tissues and the cells.

Agonal Capillary Expansion

In reference to blood, a change from a fluid into a thickened mass.

Agonal Coagulation

The loss of moisture from the living body during the agonal state.

Agonal Dehydration

Escape of blood serum from an intravascular to an extravascular location immediately before death.

Agonal Edema

Increase in body temperature immediately before death.

Agonal Fever

settling of blood into the dependent tissues of the body.

Agonal Hypostasis

Period immediately before somatic death.

Agonal Period

Postmortem cooling of the body to the surrounding temperature.

Algor Mortis

the building phase of metabolism

Anabolism

In the absence of free oxygen.

Anaerobic

Before death

Antemortem

Cellular self-decomposition

Autolysis

Irreversible somatic death

Biological Death

Sequence of events without oxygen. (5-6 minutes)

Cerebral cortex dies, midbrain, and then brain stem

Brain Death

a sudden involuntary movement or convulsion brought about by involuntary muscular contractions; may be associated with rigor mortis.

Cadaveric spasm

the breakdown phase of metabolism

Catabolism

a substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being permanently altered in reaction.

Catalyst

the most troublesome organism that could translocate and cause very definite postmortem problems.

Clostridium perfringens

A phase of somatic death lasting from 5 - 6 minutes during which life may be restored

Clinical Death

refers to the areas where blood movement has been inhibited.

Contact Pallor

Movement of gases; Crackling sensation produced when gases trapped in tissues are palpated, as in subcutaneous emphysema. (Note: Palpated means touch. Crepitation is not subcutaneous emphysema but is the crackling that you feel when the tissue is touched which is the result of subcutaneous emphysema.)

Crepitation

Irreversible cessation of all vital functions. (Nonlegal definition)

Death

Noise made by a moribund person caused by air passing through a residue of mucous in the trachea and posterior oral cavity.

Death Rattle

The semi-convulsive twitches which often occur before death.

Death Struggle

Decomposition of proteins by aerobic bacteria.

Decay

Loss of moisture from body tissue which may occur antemortem or postmortem (antemortem-febrile disease, diarrhea, or emesis; postmortem - injection of embalming solution or through absorption by the air.)

Dehydration

Sloughing off of the epidermis, wherein there is a separation of the epidermis from the underlying dermis formally referred to as skin slip.

Desquamation

Abnormal accumulation of fluids in tissue or body cavities.

Edema

Record of the electrical activity of the heart.

Electrocardiogram/ECG (EKG)

A record of the electrical activity of the brain.

Electroencephalogram/EEG

From outside the body

Extrinsic

breakdown of glucose; bacterial decomposition of carbohydrates. (anaerobic)

Fermentation

Rupture or destruction of red blood cells.

Hemolysis

Settling of blood and / or other fluids to dependent portions of the body

Hypostasis

Absorption of the fluid portion of blood by the tissues after death resulting in postmortem edema.

Imbibition

From within the body

Intrinsic

Postmortem, intravascular, red-blue discoloration resulting from hypostasis of blood.

Livor Mortis / Cadaveric Lividity/Postmortem Lividity

In a dying state; in the agonal period; actively dying

Moribund

Antemortem, physiological death of the cells of the body followed by their replacement.

Necrobiosis

Pathological death of a tissue still a part of the living organism.

Necrosis

Period that begins after somatic death.

Postmortem

process during which individual cells die.

Postmortem Cellular Death

A change in the body's chemical composition that occurs after death such as hemolysis

Postmortem Chemical Change

condition of overaccumulation of tissue fluids in dependent areas.

Postmortem Edema

A change in the form or state of matter without any change in chemical composition

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

Decomposition of proteins by the action of enzymes from anaerobic bacteria.

Putrefaction

Any one of a group of nitrogenous organic compounds formed by the action of putrefactive bacteria on proteins; indole, skatole, cadaverine, and putrescine.

Ptomaine

Postmortem stiffening of the body muscles by natural body processes.

Rigor Mortis

Manifestation of death in the body

Sign of Death

Formed elements of blood sticking together in clumps

Sludge

Delicate instrument used to detect almost inaudible sounds produced in the body.

Stethoscope

Death of the organism as a whole.

Somatic Death

Scientific study of decomposition, the study of processes that affect remains (burial, decay, and preservation)

Taphonomy

extravascular blood discolorations which cannot be removed by arterial injection and blood drainage.

Tardieu spots

a chemical reaction where chemical bonds of reactants are broken, and new chemical bonds are formed.

Transition state

An agonal or postmortem redistribution of host microflora on a host wide basis

Translocation

True or false: Death is simply a moment in time.

FALSE

List the timeline for the process of death in order:

1.) Agonal Period
2.) Clinical Death
3.) Brain Death
4.) Biological Death
5.) Postmortem Cellular Death

What is the period immediately before somatic death?

Antemortem / Agonal Peiod

List the steps of the Agonal period:

1.) Loss of Heartbeat
2.) Loss of Breathing
3.) Loss of Brain Function

What are some examples of physical conditions observed in moribund?

Death Rattle and Death Struggle

What is the phase of death that is the reversable phase of somatic death lasting from 5-6 minutes during which life may be restored?

Clinical Death

What is death when respiration and heartbeat have not been reestablished within 5-6 minutes?

Brain death

What is the period in the process of death where simple life processes of the various organs and tissues begin to cease?

Biological Death

What means before death?

Antemortem

Is necrobiosis is the pathological death of a tissue still a part of the living organism?

NO

What is pathological death of a tissue still a part of the living organism?

Necrosis

After the process of dying has begun, the progression of cellular death can continue for a number of hours after death. What is the correct order of dying?

Brain & nervous system cells
Muscle Cells
Cornea Cells
Blood Cells

List the signs of death:

1.) Cessation of Respiration
2.) Cessation of Circulation
3.) Muscular Flaccidity
4.) Eye Changes
5.) Postmortem Lividity
6.) Rigor Mortis
7.) Algor Mortis
8.) Decomposition

List the postmortem changes in the eye:

1.) Cornea Clouding
2.) Loss of luster in the Conjunctiva (greying of the eyes)
3.) Flattening of the Eyeball
4.) Dilated and Unresponsive Pupils

True or false: changes that occur in the death process will dictate what procedures and techniques the embalmer will use for each case.

TRUE

Medical science has brought new therapies & treatments to medicine which increases the potential for an extended agonal period. As a result, the embalmer is more likely to encounter cases where:

1.) Disease processes have progressed
2.) Secondary infections are present
3.) Dilated and unresponsive pupils

Agonal changes are categorized according to their effect on the:

1.) Body temperature
2.) Blood vessel's ability to circulate
3.) Tissue moisture content
4.) Microorganism translocation

What is a temperature change occurring immediately before death that is a decrease in body temperature which is often seen in elderly patients, especially when death occurs slowly. It is usually seen when the metabolism has slowed & the circulatory system has slowed?

Agonal Algor

What is a temperature change occurring immediately before death that is an increase in body temperature often seen in persons with infections and can frequently stimulate microbial growth?

Agonal Fever

What are the 2 possible temperature changes that can occur in a person before death?

1.) Agonal Algor (cooling off)
2.) Agonal Fever (heating up)

What is a circulatory change occurring immediately before death which causes the blood to settle to the dependent tissues of the body? (It occurs because of the slowing of circulation just prior to death, which allows the force of gravity of overcome the force of circulation.)

Agonal Hypostasis

In reference to blood, a change from a fluid into a thickened mass. What is the process that occurs as the circulation of blood slows and the formed elements of the blood begin to clot and congeal?

Agonal Coagulation

What is a circulatory change during the agonal period in which the pores of the walls of the capillaries get larger to get more oxygen to the tissues and cells?

Agonal Capillary Expansion

What are the 3 possible blood changes that can occur in a person before death?

1.) Agonal Hypostasis (blood settles into dependent tissues)
2.) Agonal Coagulation (blood thickening)
3.) Agonal Capillary Expansion (pores of capillary walls get larger)

What is a moisture change occurring immediately before death that is an increase in fluids in the tissues and body cavities caused by the escape of blood serum from an intravascular to an extravascular location immediately before death?

Agonal Edema

What is the loss of moisture from the living body during the agonal state. It is a decrease in the amount of moisture, or fluids, in the tissues and body cavities? (It may result from disease processes or from agonal capillary expansion.)

Agonal Dehydration

What are the 2 possible moisture changes that can occur in a person before death?

1.) Agonal Edema
2.) Agonal Dehydration

Can agonal edema and agonal dehydration can occur at the same time?

YES

What is the movement of microorganisms from one area of the body to another immediately before death?

Translocation

List the ways movement of microorganisms is achieved:

1.) Having natural motility
2.) Entering and circulating through the body via blood stream
3.) Gravitation to other body parts during hypostasis or shifts in tissue moisture

What causes shifts in how long the Agonal period lasts?

How the individual died. (fatal accidents cause short agonal periods and chronic illnesses cause long agonal periods)

List the stages that the brain dies in:

1.) Cerebral Cortex
2.) Mid Brain
3.) Brain Stem

About how long does complete brain death take?

5-6 minutes

What causes Agonal Hypostasis?

Gravity

What problems can an embalmer fix and what problems can they not fix?

An embalmer CAN fix Intravascular Problems
An embalmer CAN NOT fix Extravascular Problems (only hide them)

How many ounces in a gallon?

128 ounces

True or false: If the time lapse between death and embalming is too long there may be complications severe enough to affect the successful outcome of the embalming process.

TRUE

Do postmortem physical changes change the chemical composition of the body?

NO

Postmortem physical changes include:

1.) Algor Mortis
2.) Hypostasis
3.) Livor Morits
4.) Dehydration
5.) Increased Viscosity of Blood
6.) Endogenous invasion of Microorganisms

What is the postmortem cooling of the body to the surrounding temperature?

Algor Mortis