1st Quarter Embalming Supernotes
Lecture 1
 ORIGIN OF EMBALMING
 “Balsamon”- dried or granulated resin (Greek); refers to the practice of filling the body
cavities with resin to preserve it
 MODERN EMBALMING
 Embalming is the art and science of disinfecting, temporarily preserving, and restoring to
a normal appearance of a dead body
 Art: skilled workmanship requiring brain/eye/hand coordination
 Science: any knowledge dealing with a body of known facts about the universe, facts
are systematically arranged, show the operation of general laws
 Based on the laws of physics, chemistry, and anatomy
 Effects of Embalming
 Disinfection: destruction or inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and their products in or
on the body
 Temporary preservation: the chemical treatment of the body to delay the
decomposition for a limited amount of time, changes body chemicals to become
resistant to agents of decomposition, time is variable: depends on the condition of the
body, skill of the embalmer, strength of chemicals; only for the duration of the funeral
 Restoration: care of the deceased to recreate natural form and color for the comfort of
the family
 EMBALMING TYPES
 Vascular/arterial embalming: uses the vascular system to achieve embalming goals,
injection of preservative solution into major arteries and drainage of blood from main
veins
 Cavity embalming: direct treatment other than by arterial embalming of the contents of
the body cavities, lumina of the hollow viscera, achieved by aspiration
 Hypodermic embalming: injection of embalming chemicals directly into tissues via
needle and syringe or a trocar
 Surface (topical) embalming: direct contact of internal or external body surfaces or
tissues with embalming chemicals
 EMBALMING PROCESS
 Arterial: wash and disinfect surface of body, close mouth and eyes, suitable amount of
embalming fluid is injected through major artery, vein is raised and opened to drain
blood, vessels are ligated and incisions stitched up
 Cavity: use trocar with suction to remove gas/blood/food/etc… by puncturing each organ,
use preservative fluid and inject it into each organ, puncture points are closed
 Hypodermic: uses hypodermic needle and syringe or a small trocar with the embalming
machine to inject preservative directly into tissue
 Topical/Surface: uses cotton soaked in fluid and placed directly on surface of body
 HOW AND WHY EMBALMING WORKS
 Decomposition
 Bacteria in intestines move into other parts of the body and use enzymes to separate
amino acids in proteins, so bacteria digest the molecules that make up the human
body
 Enzymes already in cells break down the rest of the cell (autolysis)
 Can be slowed down by introducing preservatives
 Preservatives
 Blocks protein receptors, blocks enzymes, kills bacteria, must be able to get to
proteins (fluid diffusion), can temporarily prevent decomposition but can’t undo
damage already done
 Why embalm?
 Provides time to bereaved to plan funeral services, allows for viewing, repairs some
damage to the body so mourners can see their loved ones at peace, allows
transportation of the body, compassion and consideration of family and human
dignity and family solidarity
 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMBALMER
 Fiducial Relationship: relationship between family and embalmer, trust-based, treat
human remains with the same love and respect as the family does
 Care-Giving Profession: serve those at the most sensitive time in their lives with
expertise, sympathy and understanding
 Protect and maintain the dignity of human remains
 Disinfect, preserve, and restore the dead with reverence and efficiency so the health of
the public remains free of disease
 Aid and comfort the bereaved whenever possible
 Perform duties in a quiet, dignified, and professional manner with the greatest care and
diligence with maximum efficiency
 Keep informed on new products, techniques, and law; also keep an open mind
Lecture 2
 DEATH
 PROFESSIONAL IMPORTANCE OF DEATH
 Definition: death is the process by which the chemical and physical changes start to
happen (within the body)
 Embalming puts a temporary halt to these changes
 DEFINING DEATH
 Thanatology: the study of death and all its aspects
 Medical definition: the cessation of total brain function
 Legal definition: differs by state, IL goes with the medical definition

Other definitions
 Long: death is the cessation or extinction of life manifested by the absence of
heartbeat and respiration and characterized by the absence of metabolism and the
total lack of irritability. It is the cessation of all vital functions without the
capability of resuscitation.
 Short: Death is the irreversible cessation of all body functions
 TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH
 Apparent death: a condition in which the heartbeat, respiration, body warmth, and
other manifestations of life are very feebly maintained
 Death rattle: sound sometimes made by the dying caused by labored breathing
through air passages partly filled with mucus
 Death struggle: semi-convulsive series of movements and facial twitches which may
occur before death
 Agonal period/state: that period of time immediately before death, length and severity
can vary
 Moribund: a person in the agonal state
 In Articulo Mortis: at the point of death
 Human remains: the body of a deceased person, includes skeletal remains and bodies
in any stage of decomposition
 Cadaver: a dead body embalmed in a special manner for purposes in anatomical
dissection
 Cremated remains: those elements of a dead human body that remain after cremation
 Corpse: legal term for a dead human body, DO NOT use in the profession
 Mortality rate: ratio of the number of deaths over a given period of time to the
population of a given area
 Morbidity rate: ratio of the number of specific diseases over a given period of time to
the population of a given area
 TYPES OF DEATH
 Somatic Death: the death of the whole organism, cooperation between bodily systems
breaks down
 2 stages: Clinical and Biological
 Clinical: characterized by cessation of heartbeat and respiration, aka legal
death, brain is still alive, can last 5-6 minutes before biological death occurs
 Biological: “irreversible death”, irreversible cessation of total brain function
 Modes of Somatic Death: failure of 1 or more of the 3major organs that belong to
the “tripod of life” aka the heart, lungs, and brain; coined by Bichat!
 Syncope: death beginning at the heart
 Coma: death beginning at the brain
 Asphyxia: death beginning at the lungs
 Cellular Death: death of individual cells of the body, always follows somatic death


Muscle cells may live another 3-7 hours; red blood cells and cells in the cornea (6
hrs)
 Cause of cellular death: lack of oxygen called anoxia; (hypoxia is the slow loss of
oxygen)
 Other kinds of cellular death (during life)
 Necrobiosis: the antimortem death of cells and their replacement by new cells
of the same type
 Necrosis: pathological death of cells in a still-living body, examples include
gangrene and decubitus ulcers (bed sores)
Factors influencing onset and duration of postmortem cellular death
 Cause of death (sudden = onset slow, duration long; exhausting diseases = onset
quick, duration short)
 Condition of body (young = slow, long; old = quick, short; obese = quick, long;
thin = slow, short)
 Environmental conditions (cold = slow, long; hot = quick, short)
 Use of medications before death (cytotoxic = quick, short; healthier medications =
slow, long)
Lecture 3
 SIGNS OF DEATH: those sensible manifestations that indicate the absence of life in the
human body, the only single reliable sign is decomposition
 Cessation of heartbeat and respiration: cannot be taken as conclusive, IL state law says
the absence of both for 5 minutes is presumptive death
 Algor mortis: coolness, the postmortem adjustment of body temperature to that of the
environment
 Rigor mortis: stiffness, cadaveric rigidity, temporary stiffening of voluntary and
involuntary muscles due to chemical changes
 Livor mortis: lividity, postmortem settling of the blood to the dependent parts of the body
 Dehydration: loss of moisture from body tissues, shrinkage and petrification (dessication)
possible in extreme cases
 Changes in the eye: dehydration causes visible changes in the appearance and shape of
the eye like loss of shine, clouding of the cornea, and the eye begins to sink
 Decomposition: generally the last sign to appear, 5 signs of decomposition (green patch
over lower right quadrant, abdominal swelling, odor, purging, and skin slip)
 TESTS FOR DEATH: any procedure used to prove a sign of death
 Expert: medical instruments are necessary to perform
 Stethoscope test: checking for heartbeat and respiration
 Opthalomoscope test: checking for a reaction in the eye to light stimulus
 Dye injection test: if dye does not appear in the white of the eye then death has
occurred


Electrocardiograph test: aka EKG, no reading indicates death
Electroencephalograph test: aka EEG, measures brain activity, no auditory brain stem
response (ABR) indicates death
 Inexpert
 Heartbeat and respiration test
 Pulse test
 Ligature test: tie string around finger, swelling indicates the subject is still alive
 Ammonia injection test: if the skin turns red indicates the subject is still alive
 THE ANTEMORTEM/AGONAL CHANGES
 General considerations
 Agonal periods are much longer now
 Embalming considerations
 The longer the agonal period, the longer the disease has to change the body chemistry
 Secondary infections can develop and change body chemistry further
 More body changes take place as time goes on
 Long-term drug treatments also change body chemistry
 Types of Agonal Changes
 Thermal
 Agonal Algor: lowering of body temperature
 Agonal fever: rising of body temperature, usually caused by febrile diseases
 Circulatory
 Agonal hypostasis: pull of gravity on blood
 Agonal coagulation: clotting
 Agonal capillary expansion: capillaries widen to compensate for poor blood
circulation, cause elevated moisture content which may lead to edema
 Moisture changes
 Agonal edema: swelling causes moisture levels to rise
 Agonal dehydration: reduced ability to absorb water
 Agonal translocation of bacteria: aka agonal invasion/bacterial migration: migration
of bacteria to other parts of the body other than the stomach
 Facies hippocratica: changes in facial appearance that hint at death
 Loss of natural reddening of skin/paleness, eyes sink, eyelids darken, nose
shrinks, mucous membranes dry and sink, lower jaw lengthens, lines and creases
get deeper, loss of muscle tone
Lecture 4
 POSTMORTEM CHANGES
 DEFINTION AND IMPORTANCE
 Those changes in the body from the molecular to the systemic level that take place
after biological death

The longer the postmortem interval (between biological death and embalming) the
more changes will appear and the more severe/noticeable they are
 Changes can interact with each other
 Number of changes and their progress will influence the chemicals and the technique
required to embalm; after a certain point embalming is not possible
 Physical Changes: a change in the location of physical state of a body chemical, chemical
identity of the body stays the same
 Algor Mortis
 Livor mortis
 Dehydration
 Change in the viscosity of blood
 Chemical Changes: change in the identity of the chemicals or chemicals get broken down
 Decomposition
 Rigor mortis
 Change in blood pH
 Postmortem stain
 Postmortem caloricity
 Hydrolysis
 PHYSICAL CHANGES
 ALGOR MORTIS: the postmortem adjustment of the body temperature to that of the
surrounding medium
 Metabolism – total biochemical reactions, regulated by the body to maintain temp.
 Body can remove heat by respiration, convection, radiation, elimination, and
perspiration but after death only direct convection still works to release heat
 Postmortem thermal changes
 Postmortem caloricity: the temporary rise in temperature just after somatic death
because cells still function
 Agonal Algor: cells reduce their heat output during the agonal period
(antimortem)
 Variation: when medium is warmer than the body, it causes dehydration and
accelerated clotting, rapid cooling is the best temperature change for embalming
 Rate of Heat Loss
 Internal organs cool slower than skeletal tissues
 Body loses more heat right after death then the rate slows
 Average rate: 4 degrees F for the first 3-4 hours, then 1.5 degrees F until the
medium temperature is reached
 Factors that influence heat loss
 Size of body (tall cools slower)
 Body weight (fat cools slower)
 Age at death (very young and very old cool faster)
 Cause of death (febrile disease = slow, TB or other disease = fast, healthy
sudden death = slow, loss of blood = fast)
 Clothing (slows onset and rate)
 Environmental temperature and humidity (closer to 98.6 = slow, rate is fastest
when temperature is low and humidity is low, moving air will also speed up
cooling)
 LIVOR MORTIS: aka postmortem lividity, cadaveric ecchymosis, cadaveric lividity, passive
congestion, or hypostatic congestion; it is the postmortem reddish/blue discoloration of the
body due to hypostasis of the blood, hypostasis is the postmortem gravitation/settling of the
blood into all dependent areas not pressed upon
 Postmortem blood movements
 Capillaries collapse, blood goes to the deeper tissues, changes the skin color, blood
follows gravity to dependent parts (hypostasis(, weight of blood enlarges dependent
surface capillaries and changes the color from pink to reddish blue to blue/purple (610 hours after death)
 Effect of contact pressure
 Shows on neck, curve of back, sides, and parts of the backs of legs, wouldn’t see it on
parts actually pressed to the surface (in supine position)
 Variations: patterns depend on the position one dies in
 Embalming considerations
 Injection should be able to flush out the blood as long as it still remains intravascular,
if it becomes extravascular then it won’t be able to be flushed out
 DEHYDRATION: the loss of moisture from the body
 Never stops but can rehydrate with arterial injection but will start to dehydrate again right
away
 Dessication: extreme dehydration, starts on toes, fingers, etc. gets black and hard, cannot
be rehydrated
 Mummification: extreme, rapid, and complete desiccation
Lecture 5
 Conditions accelerating dehydration
 Refrigeration
 Hypostasis of blood and other bodily fluid: non-dependent parts are drier
 Air currents
 Agonal dehydration
 Post-Embalming Dehydration
 Increase in blood viscosity: increase in the degree of thickness of the blood (plasma
startsz to dry, blood becomes thicker, tendency to form more clots
 The closer to body temperature, the more viscosity will appear and quicker

Put in refrigeration, temporarily decreases viscosity (hypinosis) but the rapid
dehydration
 Types of Postmortem Coagulation
 Cruror clot – “red currant jelly”, soft clot, forms quickly, includes both plasma and
solid, dark red, easy to remove
 “Chicken Fat Clot” – forms later, white blood cells separate from red cells,
yellowish/grayish white, stickier but still removable
 White fibrin clot – very sticky and solid, clot of fibrin, usually found in right atrium
of heart, takes longer to develop, can establish 2 sites of drainage to alleviate
 CHEMICAL CHANGES
 DECOMPOSITION: the chemical breakdown of complex molecules into simpler
molecules, cause by enzymes, end products = the simplest molecules left at the end
 Types of Decomposition
 Proteolysis: the breakdown of proteins
 Proteins > amino acids > amines, CO2, and H2O > amines break down into
putresine, cadaverine, indole, and skatole > end products (ammonia and
ammonic compounds, H2 gas, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen phosphide, N2 gas,
CO2, H2O, methane, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid and mercaptans (-SH
radical)
 Causes embalming complications because ammonia neutralizes formaldehyde
 Putrefaction: breakdown of proteins by anaerobic bacteria’s enzymes, end
products have foul odors, most common
 Decay: cause by enzymes produced by aerobic bacteria, endproducts not foulsmelling
 Sacchrolysis: decomposition of sugars in the body in the form of glycogen or
glucose
 Broken down by anaerobic bacteria in carbohydrates (fermentation)
 Carbohydrates > organic acids > H2O and CO2
 Lypolysis: breakdown of body fat (triglycerides/lipids/adipose) performed by
lipases
 Broken down into fatty acids and glycerol
 Under certain circumstances, a chemical transformation can take place when
the body is buried in direct contact with moist alkaline eart, the tissue
transforms into adipocere (“grave wax”), a soft, whitish gray/yellow material,
that is crumbly, greasy, and cheese-like, has a sweet/rancid smell and doesn’t
decompose further, takes 3-6 months to form; this is called *saponification*
 Autolysis: the self-destruction of cells
 Lysosome’s membrane is broken down by acids because the pH of the body
shifted and digestive enzymes are dumped out and break down the proteins fo
the cell

Signs of Decomposition
 Color: green discoloration of the skin, starting at lower right quadrant
 Odor: as putrefaction begins
 Purge: leaking through the openings of the body
 Skin slip/Desquamation: separation of epidermis from dermis: the rete mucosum
breaks down
 Gas collection: in body cavities and eventually in the tissues themselves
Lecture 6
 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE RATE OF DECOMPOSITION
1. Intrinsic factors
 Age at death: (stillborn infants = slow, infant that has breathed and been feed (fast),
old = dryness of tissues slows decomposition somewhat)
 Gender: (women tend to be faster because they retain more moisture, also certain
diseases that only women get that contribute to death hastens decomposition, like
toxic shock syndrome
 Corpulence: body fat; obese = fast, thin = slow
 Cause of death: infection = fast, agonal dehydration = slow, dismemberment (fast in
trunk and slow in dismembered part), arsenic poisoning = slow
 Bacteria: an elevation of bacteria present in the body at death increases
decomposition
 Moisture level: dehydrate = slow, edema = fast
 Thermal conditions: cooler = slow, hotter = fast
 Drugs/Therapeutic Agents: cytotoxic = fast
2. Extrinsic factors
 Access to air: fast because of airborne bacteria, aerobic bacteria cause decay
 Atmospheric Moisture level: humid = rapid because it keeps heat in the body, dry =
slow
 Temperature of the environment (air) – ****optimum bacteria temperature is 99.5
degrees F****, hotter = up to 120 degrees then stops, colder = slows until 50
degrees, then slows significantly until 32 degrees at which point growth stops
 Introduction of bacteria from the atmosphere (fast)
 Pressure of earth or clothing (slow)
 THE ORDER OF DECOMPOSITION OF THE ORGANS
1. Lining of the larynx and the trachea*
2. The infantile brain
3. Stomach
4. Intestines
5. Spleen




6. Mesentery & Omentum (connective tissue that holds the organs together and the linings
of the organs)
7. Liver
8. Adult brain
9. Heart
10. Lungs
11. Kidneys
12. Urinary bladder
13. Esophagus
14. Pancreas
15. Diaphragm
16. Blood vessels*
17. Non-pregnant uterus*
ORDER OF DECOMPOSITION FOR BODY TISSUES
1. Blood and lymphatic
2. Soft tissues: parenchyma of the organs
3. Firm tissues: stroma of the organs (connective tissue/structural) and muscles
4. Hard tissues: cartilage and bones and teeth
ORDER OF DECOMPOSITION FOR BODY COMPOUNDS
1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins
3. Fats
4. Firm proteins: chemical bonds are stronger, in connective tissue like ligaments, cartilage,
and tendons
5. Calcium compounds: bones and tooth enamel
CASPAR’S LAW
 The same degree of decomposition is found in a body exposed in air for 1 week as a body
that was in water for 2 weeks and a body buried in earth for 8 weeks
 1:2:8
DECOMPOSITION IN WATER
 Takes twice as long for a body to decompose than in air, floats face down, decomposition
starts in face and neck first, body will the sink, after decomposition starts gas collection
will eventually cause the body to rise again
 4 factors that affect decomposition in water
 Temperature of the water (warm water = faster decomposition)
 Nature of the medium: what kind of water, salt water = slow, fresh = faster, decaying
matter present in the water – faster
Lecture 7
 CHANGE IN BODY PH
 Mechanism: scale from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline/basic)
 Body during life is about 7.4
 Just after death it turns acidic (almost 5.5) for about 3-4 hours and then increasingly
alkaline again
 Embalming consequences
 Quickens rigor mortis
 Formaldehyde does not embalm with acidic fluid well, must add buffers to arterial
fluid to control pH
 Use higher concentration of formaldehyde
 RIGOR MORTIS: aka cadaveric rigidity, postmortem stiffening of body muscles, voluntary
and involuntary, by natural body processes; most variable of postmortem changes
 3 stages of postmortem muscle condition
 1. Primary flaccidity: all muscles relax immediately after somatic death, may be
spasms as individual muscle cells die
 2. Onset, duration, and termination of rigor mortis: all muscles contract after cellular
death
 3. Secondary flaccidity: all muscles relax permanently
 It is possible to relieve rigor by massaging
 2 cases in which rigor will not occur
 Bodies that are burned or scalded
 Bodies that are embalmed before onset of rigor
 Times of appearance and disappearance
 Usually onset occurs in 8-20 hours, peaks after 12 hours of onset and may last
anywhere from 10-72 hours after onset
 The later onset occurs, the longer it takes for rigor to disappear and it is more severe
 Visible signs of rigor
 Cutis anserina: goosebumps, caused by arrector pili muscles (muscles around hair
follicles) contracting
 Cause of Rigor: decomposition of ATP in the muscles
 Factors affecting rigor
 Body and/or Environmental Temperature: hot = fast, cold = slow, 98-100 degrees F is
the optimum temperature, up to and stopping at 120 degrees and down to 32 degrees
 Age: old and infants = rapid and short; young adults = severe
 Cause of death: sudden and extreme muscular activity before death and poisoning =
rapid, intense, and short
 Muscle Condition and Development: greater development and strength = slow onset,
long duration, and intense
 Order of Appearance and Disappearance
 1. Eyes and eyelids
 2. Back of neck
 3. Lower jaw
 4. Facial muscles
 5. Front of neck
 6. Chest
 7. Upper extremities
 8. Abdomen
 9. Lower extremities
 Disappears in the same order
 Conditions Mistaken for Rigor
 Heat stiffening: permanent coagulation and stiffening of tissues when exposed to high
heat (above 120 degrees F), chemical change
 Cold stiffening: 40 degrees F or below, body fats solidify, can cause skin slip if
heated too quickly, physical change
Lecture 8

Catalepsy: rare, muscular rigidity due to psychological or nervous disorders, seems to
be in a death-like coma, aka hysterical paralysis
 Cadaveric spasm: last act of life is crystallized in death, in traumatic or accidental
deaths or great psychological or physical strain at time of death, example: suicides,
traffic accidents, violence; aka spontaneous rigor
 Embalming difficulties of rigor
 pH of the body is at its most acidic during rigor, after rigor passes, bacterial activity
increases dramatically and requires a stronger solution during embalming to be
effective
 rigor restricts fluid distribution, walls of the arteries constrict which causes less fluid
diffusion
 rigor reduces the formaldehyde effectiveness
 distorts the appearance of the body, difficult to pose body
 Recommendations: make judgment on stiffness of muscles and massage, continue to
massage as injection occurs to help move the fluid, massage the hands and feet first
 POSTMORTEM STAIN: an extravascular blood discoloration due to hemolysis
 Hemolysis: decomposition of red blood cells
 Mechanism: gravity causes blood to separate into plasma and cellular components, this is
known as plasma filtration; releases hematin about 6-10 hours after death into the plasma
which seeps through the capillary walls and between the cells
 3 results
 Body tissues have more moisture = postmortem edema
 Solid material left in capillary gets harder/thicker/stickier and can block up capillaries
 Permanent bruise-like staining from the hematin outside the capillaries
 Differences between livor mortis and postmortem stain
 Livor mortis is a physical change, PM stain is a chemical changes
 Livor mortis is intravascular, PM stain is extravascular
 Livor mortis is reversible, PM stain is permanent
 Embalming implications: need to embalm ASAP
 POSTMORTEM CALORICITY: aka postmortem fever, the rise in body temperature after
somatic death
 Mechanism: heat is retained in the tissues, metabolism continues until cellular death,
body’s mechanisms of losing heat doesn’t work anymore, can reach almost 110 degrees F
 Conditions affecting degree of caloricity
 Increased: febrile diseases; systemic bacterial infections; increased muscular activity
at TOD; interruption of heat regulating mechanisms of the body; sudden death
 Decreased: debilitating diseases, agonal Algor
 Embalming implications
 Quickens rigor mortis and makes it more severe
 Quickens decomposition
 Earlier dehydration, more clotting
 HYDROLYSIS: breakdown of complex substances into simpler ones and one of the catalysts
is water or the elements of water
 Imbibition: the absorption of water by any substance (edema)
 Antimortem edema: abnormal increase in the moisture content of the body before
death
 Common in congestive heart failure and renal failure
 Postmortem edema: seeping of blood plasma extravascularly into tissues
 Encourages decomposition and skin slip
 Maceration: decomposition of a body in water, water moves from the outside in
 Tissues get soft, water-filled blisters appear on skin, muscles detach from bones and
skin slip may occur if left in the water long enough
Lecture 9
 THE PURPOSES OF EMBALMING
1. Disinfection: the destruction or the inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and their products in
or on the body
2. Temporary preservation: to render the body suitable for the funeral
3. Restoration: bringing the body back to normal so it is recognizable
 Sanitary consideration purpose
1. To protect the public from possible communicable disease or biohazard
2. To protect the embalmer
3. To create a clean and sanitary body
4. To protect the environment
 Create a workspace where a body may be properly disinfected
 Wear PPE and observe universal precautions, which are prescribed by OSHA
 Use only chemicals of approved strengths and effectiveness
 Practice maximum standards of personal hygiene
 Dispose of chemicals and waste using appropriate containers
 Observe proper procedures using three stages of disinfection
 Primary: any procedure done before embalming
 Concurrent: any procedure of disinfection during embalming
 Terminal: disinfection procedures done after embalming
 Moral Considerations
 To show sacred and reverent respect to the dead
 To maintain the highest professional and ethical standards
 Keep prep room strictly private when in use and limit entrance to those permitted
by law (licensed embalmers, apprentices, enrolled mortuary science students,
anyone authorized in writing by NOK, representatives of the coroner/M.E.’s
office, and licensed M.D.s)
 Keep body decently covered at all times or cover with a sheet when not dressed
 Refrain from vulgar, obscene remarks and we are professionally bound to
maintain confidentiality in regards to any personal or financial information as
well as never mentioning detains of procedures occurring in the prep room to
those outside the profession
 Observe all FTC regulations
 We are all held to a higher standard, don’t cut corners and avoid shortcuts,
don’t reuse chemicals or under-embalm the body, observe all wage and hour
laws
 Legal Consideration Purposes
 Cooperate fully by any investigation done by the coroner, M.E., or law officials
 Obey all federal, state, and local laws
 Don’t hire people unless they are qualified and licensed
 Maintain license by continuing education
 Terms of M.E./coroner office
 Report possible cases immediately
 Render all possible assistance to whoever is performing an autopsy
 Provide blood samples and fingerprints
 Know federal regulations
 OSHA Regulations: Blood Pathogen Standard
 Hazard Communication Standard: designed to protect from exposure to chemicals,
applies to every employer regardless of size, failure to comply with any provision of

the standard results in $16,000 per violation or could result in work disability, illness,
or injury
Requirements
1. Mandates the creation and maintenance of an MSDS sheet
a. Each manufacturer must supply and employees must maintain for
each product used in the work place containing 1% or more active
hazardous ingredients
b. Carcinogenic materials with 0.01% must have MSDS
c. MSDSs contains who made the product, contact information,
hazardous materials, physical/chemical characteristics, protective
gear/precautions, how to handle leaks/spills, proper disposal of
materials and/or containers
d. Alphabetize in a binder in the area where chemicals are stored
e. Separate binders of preparation and cleaning chemicals, must keep
binder in office stating person in charge and procedure for updating
2. Create and Maintain a Hazardous Materials Labeling Program
a. Every container/product containing hazardous materials must be labels
and a written plan regarding who does the labeling and how its done
must be in the master binder
3. Employee Information and Training
a. Every employee dealing with chemicals must undergo a training
program when first hired and annually thereafter
b. New training procedures must be created for new chemicals
c. All information on training must be in master binder
d. Requirements on a form: name of trainer, name of employee, date
completed, signatures of both
4. Creation and Maintenance of a Written Hazard Communication Standard
a. Must have a written document of how hazard communication
requirements are being met
b. Description of acquiring and maintain MSDS lists, master list of
MSDSs, and copy of test of training program, description of labeling
5. Formaldehyde Monitoring: must test for fume levels during embalming
a. Time-weighted average: aka TWA, level of formaldehyde gas
(HCHO) present in the air over 8 hours averaged
b. Permissible Exposure Limit: aka PEL, 0.75 ppm
c. Short-term Exposure Limit: aka STEL, 2 ppm/15 minutes, no more
than 4 times in 8hours
d. Action Level: 0.5ppm
i. Initial monitoring below AL, 2nd monitoring done in 7 days,
also below AL then don’t need to monitor again
ii. Initial between AL and PEL, monitor every 6 months and give
medical questionnaire
iii. Level above PEL, engineering controls are implemented,
ventilation is checked, warning signs are posted, employees
have to take a medical questionnaire, must be made public to
employees 15 days after information is received and keep
record for 30 years
Lecture 11
 THE PREPARATION ROOM
 Importance
 Most important room in the funeral home, when remodeling or building a new facility
the main concern should be the prep room
 Objectives
 Purpose is to provide a safe and sanitary work place, to provide a place to completely
disinfect the body and contain hazardous material, to enable standard embalming and
restorative art procedures, safe and convenient space for storage
 Design Elements
 Location: should be in the same building as the chapel, ground floor is ideal but 2nd
floor acceptable if elevator is available, avoid basements (moisture problems,
flooding, drainage problems), no direct outdoor access, direct and easy access to the
garage, should be soundproof
 Size: 120-150 square feet for each embalming table, if dressing and casketing in the
prep room should have another 200 square feet, if more than 300 calls a year should
have at least 400 square feet
 Doors: 3 feet wide minimum, as wide as the widest casket plus 6-8 inches leeway,
pocket doors and double-hinged doors are ideal
 Materials: large surface areas should be nonporous and unharmed by embalming
fluids, floor should have a good foundation, unglazed ceramic table, floor should be
clay, vinyl, epoxy, or ceramic tile, avoid terrazzo or porous concrete
 Windows: privacy is key, frosted or glass blocks, access to air via louvers
 Ceilings: hung or suspended ceilings with acoustical tiling with anti-bacteriostatic
coating
 Walls: concrete must be sealed or use unglazed ceramic tile, plaster and dry wall must
be sealed
 Plumbing: separate from the rest of the funeral home plumbing, floor and flush
drainage, sink covered with Plexiglass
 Air: air conditioning and heating systems should be separate from the rest funeral
home

Ventilation: bacterial filtration system, air flow from top to bottom, low cycle should
be changed every 12 hours, high changed every 20 hours
 Lighting: fluorescent for embalming, 500-800 lumens, incandescent for RA
 Required Equipment
 OSHA approved eyewash station and drench shower no more than 10 feet away from
embalming table
 Embalming table should be stainless steel or porcelain and adjustable
 Positioning devices, headrest, foot locks, Velcro straps for the hands, body supports,
plastic garments, eye caps, mouth formers, disinfectant spray and soap, massage
cream, tissue builder, dry and wet shampoo, cleaning solvents, cotton, hair dryer and
hair spray, drill and wire, garbage bags, biohazard bags, plastic sheeting, sponges,
duct tape, superglue, wire cutters, pliers, hypodermic syringes and needles, ligature
suturing material, Styrofoam blocks, saran wrap, c-fold towels, kitty litter, pneumatic
lifting device, bistoury scalpels
 Case Analysis: that consideration given to the dead prior to, during, and after the embalming
procedure is completed with documentation recommended
 Purpose is to describe and apply the proper embalming technique
 Pre-embalming analysis: looking for embalming problems
 Embalming analysis: looking for changes occurring during embalming
 Post-embalming analysis: double-checking and doing every else require to complete the
preparation of the body
 Need to know how strong to make the fluids
Lecture 12
 Variable factors
 Instrinsic
 Cause and manner of death
 Body conditions
 Pathological profile
 Bacteria
 Moisture content
 Nitrogenous waste products
 Discolorations
 Postmortem changes
 Medication/drugs
 Extrinsic
 Environmental conditions
 Bacteria
 Vermin
 Postmortem interval
 Normal case: assume no tissue recovery, no mutilation, no surgical procedures, no
abnormal clotting, no discoloration, no communicable disease, no breaks in circulation,
no excess rigidity, no visible signs of decomposition; actually rare these days
 Standard embalming procedure
 Place body on table with head block, remove clothing and any bandages/wrappings,
spray body with disinfectant, bathe body with soap and water including hair and both
sides of the body, relieve rigor, cover genitalia with towel as soon as washing is done,
spray moth and eyes with disinfectant, can also disinfect trachea/respiratory tract,
wash out nostrils, shave, pose the features, make incision to raise artery and tie
ligatures, insert arterial tube, raise vein for drainage, raise head and align (15 degrees
to the right), position hands parallel to body, inject, remove tubes and ligate above
and below incisions, cavity aspiration, inject cavity fluid, seal punctures with trocar
buttons, close sutures from arterial injection and put on sealer, wash body and hair
again, put liquid sealer on incisions, trim hair and manicure, cosmetize, dress and
casket
INSTRUMENTS
 Gravity injector: use to inject fluid into the body
 Embalming pump: hand squeezing pump used to inject air pressure into the bottle container
with embalming fluid
 Head block: cradles the head for positioning above the body
 Scalpel: blade used to make incisions
 Bistoury: variation of the scalpel
 Aneurism hook: used to raise the artery for embalming
 Trocar: large hollow tube for aspirating and embalming the cavities
 Hydro-aspirator: attached to the sink to draw gases and liquid from the cavities
 Angular forceps: long tweezers used to pack orifices or inserted into veins
 Spring forceps: long tweezers used in passing ligature around vessels for closing the eyelids,
etc.
 Hemostat: clamp used to shut an open blood vessel
 Arterial tube or cannula: metal tube used for fluid injection
 Drain tube: used in the vein toward the heart for drainage of fluids
 Trocar button: plastic screw to close holes made by the trocar
 Syringe: used for tissue building or spot embalming
 Spatula: used to apply restorative wax
 Plastic undergarments: covering the body in plastic before you put on the clothing to keep
any surprise drainage in