Embalming Techniques & Protocols Flashcards
7 cards from real CMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Embalming Techniques & Protocols flashcards as text
What is the significance of the formaldehyde permissible exposure limit (PEL) set by OSHA for funeral home workers?
Answer: 0.75 ppm as an 8-hour TWA, with an action level of 0.5 ppm
OSHA's Formaldehyde Standard sets a PEL of 0.75 ppm as an 8-hour TWA and an action level of 0.5 ppm, at which monitoring and medical surveillance programs must be initiated.
Which condition best describes 'tissue gas' encountered during embalming preparation?
Answer: Rapidly spreading subcutaneous emphysema caused by Clostridium perfringens infection
Tissue gas (subcutaneous emphysema from Clostridium perfringens) produces crackling, gas-filled tissue planes that spread rapidly and require special high-index treatment and surface disinfection.
What embalming approach is most appropriate for a body dead from trauma with extensive internal hemorrhage?
Answer: Use high-index arterial fluid with a blood solvent co-injection and multiple injection sites
Traumatic hemorrhage cases require high-index fluid to counteract blood saturation in tissues, a blood solvent co-injection to help clear intravascular clotting, and multiple injection points for even distribution.
Which drainage device allows continuous drainage during arterial injection without requiring repeated manual adjustment?
Answer: Drain tube with stopcock
A drain tube fitted with a stopcock can be set to allow continuous drainage throughout injection, enabling the embalmer to monitor outflow and adjust flow as needed without stopping.
When embalming a body with a pacemaker in place, what is the most critical consideration before beginning?
Answer: The pacemaker's battery may explode under certain cremation temperatures, so it must be documented and removed if cremation is planned
Pacemaker batteries can explode at cremation temperatures, potentially injuring workers and damaging equipment; removal before cremation is mandatory and must be documented.
What is the correct technique for raising the right common carotid artery for injection?
Answer: Make an incision along the medial border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and bluntly dissect the carotid triangle
The right common carotid is accessed via an incision along the medial border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, allowing blunt dissection into the carotid triangle to locate and raise the vessel.
Which factor most directly determines the dilution of arterial embalming concentrate used for a specific case?
Answer: The condition of the body including moisture content, decomposition, and cause of death
The body's moisture content (edema vs. dehydration), degree of decomposition, disease processes, and cause of death dictate the required preservative strength and dilution for that specific case.