Embalming I Final Review

Abdominal anatomical regions

Two systems of nomenclature employed for designating portions of the abdomen, which include a 9-region plan and a 4-region plan.

Abrasion

Antemortem injuries resulting from friction of the skin against a firm object resulting in the removal of the epidermis.

Abut

To touch, contact, or bluntly adjoin another structure, such as the tarsal plates of the closed eyelids (the line of eye closure).

Accessory chemical

Group of chemicals used in addition to vascular (arterial) and cavity embalming fluids; most are applied to the body surface. Includes but is not limited to hardening compounds, preservative powders, sealing agents, mold preventative agents, and pack application agents.

Action Level (AL)

Concentration of 0.5 ppm of formaldehyde calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) concentration, as defined by OSHA.

Active dye

Agent that will impart permanent color to tissues; also known as Cosmetic Dye.

Actual pressure

The pressure indicated by the injector gauge needle when the arterial tube is OPEN and the arterial solution is flowing into the body.

Adipocere (Grave wax)

A wax-like material (soft, whitish, crumbly, or greasy) produced by saponification of body fat in a body buried in alkaline soil.

Aerobic

Characterized by the presence of free oxygen.

Aerosolization

Dispersed minute particles of blood and water become atomized and suspended in air.

Agglutination

Increased viscosity of blood brought about by the clumping of particulate-formed elements in the blood vessels.

Agonal

A period of time immediately before death.

Agonal algor

Decrease in body temperature immediately before death.

Agonal coagulation

A change from a fluid into a thickened mass of blood immediately before death.

Agonal dehydration

The loss of moisture immediately before death.

Agonal edema

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

Agonal fever

Increase in body temperature immediately before death.

Agonal translocation

Redistribution of endemic microflora on a host-wide basis immediately before death.

Alcohol

An organic compound containing one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups. The general formula is R-OH, where R is a hydrocarbon group.

Aldehyde

An organic compound containing one or more -CHO groups. The general formula is R-CHO where R is a hydrocarbon group or hydrogen.

Algor mortis

Post-mortem cooling of the body to the ambient temperature.

Alternate drainage

A method of injection and drainage in which embalming solution is injected and then injection is stopped while drainage is opened.

Amino acid

The building blocks of proteins; a compound containing an amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl (-COOH) group, and a radical.

Amphoteric

Any compound that can act as both an acid and a base in aqueous solution.

Anaerobic

Characterized by the absence of free oxygen.

Anasarca

Generalized edema in subcutaneous tissue.

Anatomical guide

A descriptive reference for locating arteries and veins by means of identifiable anatomical structures.

Anatomical limits

Points of origin and termination in relation to adjacent structures; used to designate boundaries of arteries.

Anatomical position

Used as a reference in describing body parts to one another in which the body is erect, feet together, palms forward, and thumbs are pointed away.

Aneurysm

A localized abnormal dilation of a blood vessel resulting in a weakness of the vessel.

Aneurysm hook

An embalming instrument used for blunt dissection and in raising vessels.

Aneurysm needle

An embalming instrument used for blunt dissection and raising vessels with an eye in the hook portion of the instrument for placing ligatures around raised vessels.

Angular spring forceps

Drainage instrument designed for the removal of venous blood clots by grasping the clots and pulling them from the vein.

Anomaly

Deviation from the normal. Any abnormality of size, shape, or position of a body part; also known as Malformation.

Antecubital fossa

The triangular depression in front of the bend of the elbow.

Antemortem

Before death.

Antemortem subcutaneous emphysema

Distension of the tissues beneath the skin by gas or air from a puncture or tear in the pleural sac or the lung tissue.

Anterior

Anatomical term of position and direction denoting the front or forward part; refers to the ventral or abdominal side of the body.

Anterior superior iliac spine

A palpable bony protuberance located on the ilium.

Anticoagulant (Water conditioner)

Ingredient of embalming fluids that retards the natural postmortem tendency of blood to become viscous and prevents adverse reactions between blood and other embalming chemicals.

Apparent death

A condition in which the manifestations of life are feebly maintained.

Aqueous solution

A solution in which water is the solvent.

Arterial (Vascular) embalming

The use of the blood vascular system of the body for temporary preservation, disinfection, and restoration; accomplished through injection of embalming solutions into the arteries and drainage from the veins.

Arterial fluid

Concentrated preservative embalming chemical for injection into the arterial system during vascular embalming.

Arterial solution

The mixture of arterial fluid and water used for arterial injection that may include supplemental fluids.

Arterial tube (Cannula)

Instrument used to inject arterial solution into the vascular system.

Arteriosclerosis

A disease of the arteries resulting in thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the arterial walls.

Articulation

Anatomical term for the juncture between two or more bones or cartilage.

Ascites

Accumulation of serous fluids in the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity.

Asepsis

Freedom from infection and from any form of life; sterility.

Asphyxia

Death beginning in the lungs due to an insufficient intake of oxygen.

Aspiration

The removal of gas, fluids, and semi-solids from body cavities and hollow viscera by means of suction with an aspirator and a trocar.

Atheroma

Fatty degeneration or thickening of the walls of the larger arteries occurring in atherosclerosis; very common in femoral arteries of the elderly.

Autoclave

Apparatus used for sterilization by steam pressure.

Autolysis

The self-destruction of cells; the decomposition of all tissues by enzymes of their own formation without microbial assistance.

Autolytic enzyme

The body's own digestive enzymes that are capable of destroying body cells.

Autopsy

Postmortem examination of the organs and tissues of a body to determine the cause of death or pathological condition.

Bactericide

An agent that destroys bacteria but not necessarily their spores.

Bilirubin

A pigment produced by the liver that is excreted in bile which causes a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes when it accumulates in those organs; yellow, brown, or orange pigment in bile.

Biliverdin

A green pigment that can occur in bile; often a result of an oxidation reaction between formaldehyde and bilirubin; can create a permanent green discoloration in the skin.

Biochemistry

That branch of chemistry dealing with compounds produced by living organisms.

Biohazard

Biological agent or situation that constitutes a hazard to humans.

Biohazardous waste

Any potentially infective, contaminated waste that constitutes a hazard to humans in the workplace.

Biological death

Irreversible somatic death.

Bischloromethyl Ether (BCME)

A carcinogen potentially produced when formaldehyde and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) come into contact with each other.

Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite)

A chlorine-containing compound used for disinfection of inorganic/inanimate surfaces.

Bleaching agent

A chemical used to lighten a skin discoloration (e.g. phenol).

Blood discoloration

Condition resulting from changes in blood composition, content, or location, either intravascularly (livor mortis) or extravascularly (post-mortem stain).

Blood vascular system

Circulatory network composed of the heart, arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins.

Bloodborne pathogen

Any microorganism present in human blood that can cause disease in humans.

Bloodborne Pathogen Standard

OSHA regulation (29 CFR 1910.1030) regulating the employee's exposure to blood and other body fluids.

Blunt dissection

Utilizing manual techniques (i.e. with fingers) or round-ended instrument to separate rather than cut the superficial fascia surrounding blood vessels.

Boil

Acute, deep-seated inflammation in the skin which usually begins as a subcutaneous swelling in a hair follicle; also known as Furuncle.

Bridge (Interrupted) suture

A temporary suture consisting of individually cut and tied stitches at the tissue edge; used to sustain proper position of tissues.

Buffer

A substance capable of neutralizing acids and bases to maintain a constant pH; usually occurs in pairs (acid and base).

Bulb syringe

A self-contained manual pump made of soft rubber designed to create pressure to deliver fluid as it passes through one-way valves located within the bulb.

Cadaver

Dead human body used for medical purposes.

Cadaveric lividity (Livor mortis)

Intravascular red-blue discoloration resulting from postmortem hypostasis of blood.

Cadaveric spasm (Instantaneous rigor)

Immediate stiffening of the muscles of a dead human body.

Calvarium

The superior portion of the cranium removed during cranial autopsy.

Calvarium clamp

A device used to reattach the calvarium to the cranium after a cranial autopsy.

Canalization

Formation of new channels in a tissue.

Capillary

Semi-permeable, minute blood vessel allowing for the diffusion of arterial embalming fluid.

Carbohydrate

A compound of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen (which includes sugars, starches, and glycogen) that is an aldehyde or ketone derivative of a polyhydroxy alcohol.

Carcinogen

A cancer-causing chemical or material.

Case analysis (Embalming analysis)

Evaluation of the dead body prior to, during, and after the embalming procedure is completed.

Cavity embalming

Direct treatment of the contents of the body cavities and the lumina of the hollow viscera; usually accomplished by aspiration and then injection of chemicals using a trocar.

Cavity fluid

Concentrated embalming chemical injected into the cavities of the body following the aspiration of the body; can also be used in hypodermic and surface embalming.

Cellular death

Death of the individual cells of the body.

Center of arterial solution distribution

Ascending and/or arch of the aorta.

Center of venous drainage

Right atrium of the heart.

Centrifugal force machine

Embalming machine that uses an electrical pump to create pulsating or non-pulsating pressure.

Chelate

Substance that binds metallic ions such as calcium or EDTA; used as an anticoagulant in embalming solutions.

Chemistry

The branch of natural science that is concerned with the description and classification of matter, with the changes which matter undergoes, and with the energy associated with each of these changes.

Chemotherapy

The application of chemical agents in the treatment of disease in humans, primarily cancer, causing an elevated preservation demand.

Clinical death

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

Closed drainage system

A procedure that limits exposure to drainage by attaching tubing to a drain tube allowing drainage to flow directly from a vein into a sanitary disposal system.

Coagulating agent

Chemical or physical agent that brings about coagulation.

Co-injection fluid

A fluid used primarily to supplement and enhance the action of vascular (arterial) solutions.

Colloid (Colloidal solution)

A solution-like system in which the size of the solute particle is between 1 and 100 nanometers; particles of solute (colloid) pass through filters but NOT membranes.