| Question | Answer |
| chemicals which inactivate saprophytic bacteria, render unsuitable for nutrition the media upon which such bacteria thrive, & which will arrest decomposition by altering enzymes and lysins of the body as well as converting the decomposable tissues into a | preservatives |
| alcohols | ethyl
methyl
isopropyl |
| types of preservatives | aldehydes
alcohols
phenol & phenolic compounds
inorganic salts |
| characteristics of phenol | very soluble
very toxic & irritating
"grandaddy" of germicides
excellent preservative
used on cadavers |
| aldehydes | formaldehyde
gluteraldehyde |
| gluteraldehyde | less irritating to skin & eyes
less dehydrating automatically
causes less firming of tissue without sacrificing preservation
more efficient
no OSHA regs against fumes
more expensive |
| purpose of inorganic salts | used for osmosis |
| inorganic salts | sodium chloride
potassium nitrate
sodium carbonate
sodium sulfate |
| chemicals which kill or render incapable of reproduction pathogens | germicides |
| quaternary ammonium compounds | zephiran chloride
roccal |
| chemicals which retard the tendency of blood to become more viscous by natural postmortem processes or prevent adverse reactions between blood & embalming chemicals | anticoagulants |
| precipitants | sodium citrate
sodium oxylate
calcium oxylate |
| sequestering agents | TDA (tetrasodium diacetic acid)
EDTA (ethylene diamine tetracetic acid) |
| chemicals that isolate individual calcium ions, rendering them unresponsive | sequestering agents |
| liquids which serve as a solvent for all ingredients in embalming solution | vehicles |
| chemicals which reduce the molecular cohesion of a liquid & thereby enable it to flow through smaller apertures | surfactants |
| other names for "surfactant" | wetting agent
surface tension reducer
penetrating agent
surface active agent |
| types of surfactants | sodium lauryl sulfate*
sulfonates |
| substances which will, upon being dissolved, impart a definite color to the solvent | dyes/coloring agents |
| types of dyes | eosine
carmine
ponceau red
erythrosine |
| chemicals having the capability of displacing an unpleasant odor or of altering an unpleasant odor to a more pleasant one | reodorants/deodorant
(perfuming agent)
(masking agent) |
| type of perfuming agents | methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) |
| chemicals that alter the way formalin works | modifying agents |
| types of modifying agents | humectants
buffers
water-conditioning agents |
| chemicals creating an increased capability for embalmed tissue to retain their moisture | humectants |
| types of humectants | glycerol (alcohol)
sorbitol (alcohol)
lanolin (from sheep)
aloe (from plants)
hexylene glycol (waxy) |
| chemicals which affect a stabilization of the acid-base balance within embalming solutions & embalmed tissues | buffers |
| types of buffers | borax & boric acid
sodium bicarbonate
sodium citrate
EDTA
disodium phosphate |
| chemicals added to water for primary dilution | water-conditioning agents (water softeners) |
| types of water-conditioning agents | sodium citrate
EDTA
sodium oxylate |
| chemical which is a precipitant (anticoagulant), a buffer and a water-conditioning agent | EDTA |
| chemical which is a precipitant (anticoagulant) and a water-conditioning agent | sodium oxylate |
| high index fluids (30-40) used for edema cases & decomp cases which contain added germicides & tissue coagulants | dehydrating fluids & firming fluids |
