CHAPTER 4

TECHNICAL ORIENTATION OF EMBALMING

GENERAL RULES OF THE PREP ROOM

T

he prep room is a confidential and private room. Only the

embalmers and those allowed by the state should be allowed in.

W

hen not being used the prep room should still have limited

entry.

T

he prep room should have signage that shows it is a private area

and should have all OSHA warnings.

GENERAL RULES OF THE PREP ROOM

T

he prep room should have a lock on the door or some type of

security plan so that unauthorized people don’t wander in.

T

he dignity of the remains must be maintained at all times.

A

ll people in the prep room should maintain the highest moral

standards at all times.

GENERAL RULES OF THE PREP ROOM

A

clean and healthy environment should be maintained.

T

he proper supply of chemicals and items necessary for the embalming

should always be available.

T

he proper number of tables should be present to minimize moving the

remains.

A

n embalming report should be used.

THE PREPARATION ROOM

T

he book goes into great detail about the location, size,

physical design, flooring, windows, doors & ceilings, walls,

plumbing, an ventilation.

T

he reality is that although this information is worthwhile if

you’re going to build your own funeral, most of you are not.

Most of you are going to work for a funeral home, or will

purchase

THE PREPARATION ROOM

A

funeral home where the preparation room is already in

existence. Answer questions 2 and 3 at the back of the

chapter but don’t study this information for quiz and

testing purposes.

T

here is too much other valuable material that you need to

spend your time learning and need to be tested on.

THE PREPARATION ROOM

I

am most concerned in this chapter that you

learn the preparation room equipment and

instrumentation.

PREPARATION ROOM EQUIPMENT

T

ables- embalming tables are available with:• stainless-steel or porcelain tops• cast iron, steel, or aluminum bases

H

istorical Injection Apparatus included:• gravity method (still used in cavity embalming)

• bulb syringe

PREPARATION ROOM EQUIPMENT

• Combination of gravity and bulb syringe• Hand pumps• Air Pressure machines

T

he present day apparatus is a motorized Centrifugal

Pump. Terms associated with the pump are:• pressure- the force required to distribute the

embalming solution throughout the body.

PREPARATION ROOM EQUIPMENT

• Rate of flow- the amount of embalming solution that enters the body in a given period and is measured in ounces per minute.

• Potential pressure- the pressure reading on the gauge indicating the pressure in the delivery line of the machine with the rate-of flow valve closed or the arterial tubing clamped shut.

• Differential pressure- the difference between the potential pressure reading and the actual pressure reading.

PREPARATION ROOM EQUIPMENT

• Actual pressure- the reading on the pressure gauge when the rate-of-flow valve is open and the arterial solution is entering the body.

GENERAL INSTRUMENTS

A

neurysm Needle- used for tissue dissection for the location

and elevation of arteries and veins.

B

istoury Knife- a curved cutting instrument that cuts from the

inside outward.

H

emostat (locking Forceps)- can be used to clam leaking vessels.

Dressing forceps are very long hemostats.

GENERAL INSTRUMENTS

S

capel- a sharp cutting instrument used for making

incisions.

S

cissors- used for cutting and to open arteries and veins.

S

eparator- used to keep vessels elevated above the incision.

GENERAL INSTRUMENTS

S

uture Needles include:• half-curved• doubled-curved• circle • loopuypt

S

uture thread is made of:• nylon • cotton• linen

GENERAL INSTRUMENTS

S

pring Forceps- used for grasping and holding tissue and used

as a drainage instrument.

A

rterial Tube- come in many sizes. They are threaded to a

stopcock. They are inserted into the artery for injection.

S

topcock-used to attach the delivery hose from the embalming

machine to the arterial tube.

GENERAL INSTRUMENTS

Y

Tube- used for injecting both legs and arms, or both sides of the

head at the same time on an autopsied remains.

D

rain Tube- metal cylinder to be inserted into a vein.

I

liac Drain Tube- a drain tube inserted into the iliac toward the right

atrium of the heart.

G

rooved Director- used to expand a vein to help guide a drainage

device.

ASPIRATING INSTRUMENTS

A

utopsy Aspirator- used to aspirate blood and arterial fluid

from the cavities of autopsied remains.

H

ydroaspirator- an aspirating device that creates a vacuum

when water is run through the mechanism.

N

asal Tube Aspirator-used to aspirate the nose or throat.

ASPIRATING INSTRUMENTS

T

rocar- a long hollow needle used to aspirate and inject body

cavities.

H

ypovalve Trocar- designed for hypodermic treatment and is

used for injection only.

C

avity Fluid Injector- screws onto the cavity fluid bottle and

when inverted the fluid flows through the trocar into the cavity

ASPIRATING INSTRUMENTS

T

rocar Button- a threaded plastic screw used for

closing trocar punctures or other small

punctures.

T

rocar Button Applicator- used to insert the trocar

button.

FEATURE SETTING DEVICES

E

yecaps- plastic disks inserted under the eyelids.

M

outh Formers- plastic or metal devices used to replace the

teeth when the natural teeth or dentures are absent.

N

eedle Injector- used to insert a “barb” into the mandible and

maxilla to hold the lower jaw in a closed position.

POSITIONING DEVICES

H

ead Rests

A

rm and Hand Rests• Sometimes these are also referred to as

“armatures.”

PLASTIC UNDERGARMENTS

P

lastic garments help control leakage from the

autopsied body or the condition of edema. They

include:• Plastic stockings which cover from the feet to the

upper thigh.• Plastic pants which cover the waist to the upper

thigh.• Plastic unionall which cover the entire body

except the hands and face.

PLASTIC UNDERGARMENTS

• Plastic Coveralls which cover from the upper thigh to the armpit.