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Post-Mortem Physical and Chemical Changes

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Answer
the art and science of disinfecting, temporarily preserving, and restoring to a normal appearance a dead human body   embalming  
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the destruction or inhibition of pathogenic organisms and their products in or on the body   disinfection  
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chemical treatment of the body so as to delay the decomposition of the body for a limited amount of time   temporary preservation  
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the care of the deceased to recreate natural form and color-to change the body back to amore normal appearance when the body has become unpleasant   restoration  
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use of the circulatory system in the body, injection into an artery, drainage from a vein   arterial embalming  
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direct chemical treatment other than by arterial embalming of the contents of the body cavities   cavity embalming  
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injection of embalming chemicals directly into the tissues   hypodermic embalming  
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direct contact of internal or external body surfaces or tissues with embalming chemicals   surface/topical embalming  
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a cotton piece placed directly on the surface of the body and the appropriate chemical is applied-area is preserved by osmosis   surface pack/cavity pack  
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cause the breakdown of proteins   enzymes  
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a relationship based on trust   fiduciary relationship  
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the study of death in all of its aspects   thanatology  
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legal definition of death   total cessation of brain function  
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a condition in which the heartbeat, respiration, body warmth, and other manifestations of life are very feebly maintained   apparent death  
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the sound sometimes made by the dying caused by labored breathing through air passages partly filled by mucus   death rattle  
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the semi-convulsive series of movements and facial twitches which may occur before death   death struggle  
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that period of time immediately before death   agonal period  
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bound for death   moribund  
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at the edge of death-statements made at this time are held in great legal weight   in articulo mortis  
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the body of a deceased person   human remains  
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latin term for a dead body embalmed especially for medical observation   cadaver  
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elements of a dead body after cremation   cremated remains  
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ratio of the number of deaths over a given period of time to the population of a given area   mortality rate/death rate  
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ratio of the number of specific cases of diseases over a given period of time to the population of a given area   morbidity rate  
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the death of the whole organism-death of the human body as an autonomous self-sustaining biological unit   somatic death  
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cessation of heartbeat and respiration, lasts 5 to 6 minutes, can be reversed   clinical death  
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irrevocable death, follows clinical death   biologic death  
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stage of death which commences upon the irreversible cessation of brain function   biologic death  
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idea by Dr. Bichat, if one of the essential organs fail, the others fail within moments   tripod of life  
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death originating in the heart   syncope  
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death originating in the brain   coma  
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death originating in the lungs   asphyxia  
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the death of the individual cells of the body   cellular death  
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cause of cellular death, absence of oxygen   anoxia  
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antemortem cell death and their replacement by new cells of the same type   necrobiosis  
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the pathological death of cells/tissues in a living body   necrosis  
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sudden deaths of healthy people, cell death is   slow  
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deaths due to chronic diseases, cell death is   rapid  
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death of a young person, cell death is   slow  
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cold environment, cell death is   slow  
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deadly to cells   cytotoxic  
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those sensible manifestations that indicate the absence of life in a human   signs of death  
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the only reliable sign of death   decomp  
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7 signs of death   1) cessation of heartbeat/respiration, 2) algor mortis, 3) livor mortis, 4) rigor mortis, 5) dehydration, 6) changes in the eye, 7) decomp  
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how does the eye change in death?   eye clouds, cornea becomes milky, jelly of eye begins to evaporate  
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5 signs of decomp   1) green color (LRQuadrant), 2) skin slip, 3) purge, 4) gas buildup, 5) odor  
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any procedure used to prove a sign of death   test for death  
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those tests for death for which medical instruments are necessary   expert test  
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5 expert tests for death   1) stethoscope, 2) opthalmascope, 3) electroencephalograph, 4) electrocardiograph, 5) dye injection  
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those tests for death which do not require specific training   inexpert tests  
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4 inexpert tests for death   1) heartbeat/respiration check, 2) ligature test, 3) ammonia injection, 4) pulse test  
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the lowering of the body temp just before death   agonal algor  
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increase in body temp just before death   agonal fever  
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a settling/moving of the blood to the dependent parts AM   agonal hypostasis  
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AM clots/congealing of the blood   agonal coagulation  
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AM blood vessels expanding to get more oxygen and nutrients   agonal capillary expansion  
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AM increase moisture level   agonal edema  
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AM drying out of the body   agonal dehydration  
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AM bacteria that are normally in the intestines travel outward to find nutrients, immune system breaking down   agonal translocation of bacteria  
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term used to describe the faces of the dying, used by Hippocrates   facies hippocratica  
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those changes in the body from the molecular to the systemic level that take place after biologic death   post-mortem changes  
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the passage of time btw biologic death and the start of the embalming process   PM interval  
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those pm changes which involve a change in the location or physical form of a body chemical   pm physical change  
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4 PM physical changes   1) algor mortis, 2) livor mortis, 3) dehydration, 4) increase in blood viscosity  
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those pm changes which involve an actual change of identity of chemicals   pm chemical change  
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6 pm chemical changes   1) decomp, 2) change in pH, 3) rigor mortis, 4) PM stain, 5) PM caloricity, 6) hydrolysis  
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the PM adjustment of body to that of the surrounding medium   algor mortis  
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only way for a body to release heat pm   direct convection through the skin  
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rate at which liver loses heat for the first 3 hours pm? for every hour after that? until when?   4 degrees F / hour for the first 3 hours, 1.5 degrees F for every hour after that until environmental temp is reached  
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tall bodies cool_____ than short bodies   slower  
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very young and very old cool _____ than those in prime of life   faster  
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the pm reddish-blue discoloration of the body due to the hypostasis of blood (6 synonyms)   1) livor mortis, 2) PM lividity, 3) cadaveric ecchymosis, 4) cadaveric lividity, 5) passive congestion, 6) hypostatic congestion  
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the pm gravitation/settling of blood into the dependent parts   hypostasis  
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the changes in the color of the skin due to loss of blood pigment   pallor  
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is livor mortis intravascular or extravascular   intravascular  
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the loss of moisture from the body tissues   dehydration  
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extreme dehydration-causes shrivelling and blackening of the tissue   desiccation  
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extreme rapid and complete desiccation   mummification  
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4 factors that accelerate pm dehydration   1) refrigeration, 2) hypostasis of blood, 3) air currents, 4) agonal dehydration  
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the degree of thickness of a liquid   viscosity  
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in a refrigerated environment, blood viscosity is _______, in a temp near 98.6, blood viscosity is ______   liquid, more viscous  
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temporary reduction in the viscosity of blood   hypinosis  
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clot that forms the quickest, all blood elements in a homogenous, wet, soft clot, easily moveable by arterial injection   red currant jelly clot/cruror clot  
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clot that forms when gravity separates white and red blood cells, form a white-grey clot   chicken fat clot  
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clot most likely to stick to vessel walls, likely to form in R atrium of heart, difficult to remove   white fibrin clot  
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chemical breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones   decomposition  
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chemicals so simple they can no longer be broken down by normal means   end products  
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decomp of proteins   proteolysis  
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proteins breakdown into   amino acids  
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amino acids break down into   amines, CO2, H2O  
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amines (ptomaines) breakdwon into (4)   putrescine, cadaverine, skatole, indole  
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hydrogen phosphide, N2, mercaptans, and ammona (and compounds) are examples of what?   amine end products  
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most dangerous end product:   ammonia  
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type of proteolysis cause by enzymatic breakdown of anaerobic bacteria, usually foul-smelling   putrefaction  
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type of proteolysis caused by aerobic bacteria, usually not foul-smelling   decay  
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sugars breakdown. what do they breakdown into?   sacchrolysis, carbohydrates and organic acids CO2 and H2O  
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sacchrolysis also called _______, causes what adverse effect   fermentation, gas distention  
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involving decomp of body fats, what are the end products   lipolysis, fatty acids and glycerol  
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if a dead body is buried in direct contact with moist alkaline earth, the adipose tissue can be transformed into   adipocere/grave wax  
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process of adipocere formation   saponification  
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decomp of cells, self-destruction w/out bacterial influence   autolysis  
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cell organelle responsible for autolysis   lysosome  
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most saprophytic bacteria thrive in what temperature   99.5  
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decomp slows at temps above ______ and below _____   120, 50  
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first and last organs to decomp   1) lining of larynx and trachea, 2) non-pregnant uterus  
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order of decomp of body tissues   1) liquid tissues, 2) soft tissues, 3) firm tissues, 4) hard tissues  
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blood and lymph fluid are considered ____ tissues   liquid  
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special organ tissues that do the function of the organ   parencyma  
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organ tissues are considered _____ tissues   soft  
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stroma, muscles, tendons are considered _____ tissues   firm  
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bones and cartilage are considered _____ tissues   hard  
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order of decomp of body compounds   1) carbohydrates (sacchrolysis), 2) proteins (proteolysis), 3) fats (lipolysis), 4) firm proteins, 5) calcium compounds  
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law which describes the relative speed of decomp of an unembalmed body in air, water, or soil   casper's law  
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ratio of decomp for air to water to soil   1:2:8  
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pH of a living body is considered slightly _____, pH of   alkaline, 7.4  
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PM body pH turns   acidic  
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PM stiffening of body muscles, both involuntary and voluntary   rigor mortis  
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three stages of rigor   1) primary flaccidity, 2) onset, duration, termination, 3) secondary flaccidity  
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5 ways to break rigor   bend, flex, rotate, massage, extend  
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rigor begins to appear between ___ and ____ hours after death   8, 20  
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rigor peaks at ____ hours after onset   12  
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rigor lasts from ____ to ____ hours after onset   10, 72  
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involuntary muscles around hair follicles contract, sign of rigor   cutis anserina  
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cause of rigor   decomp of ATP  
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optimum (for a quick onset and quick duration of rigor) temp   98-100 degrees  
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rigor is quicker in what age groups, rigor is slow onset and long duration in what age range   infants and old people fast and brief, young people and healthy adults slow onset long duration  
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a poison that causes convulsions would have what effect on rigor   accelerate  
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extreme muscular activity right before death would have what effect on rigor   rapid onset, intense degree of stiffness, brief duration  
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a person with a lot of muscle mass at time of death will have what effect on rigor   slow onset, great degree of rigidity, long duration  
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what is the order of appearance and disappearance of rigor mortis in the body parts? (9)   1) eyes/eyelids, 2) back of neck, 3) lower jaw, 4) face, 5) front of neck, 6) chest muscles, 7) arms, 8)trunk, 9) legs  
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permanent stiffening and coagulation of muscle tissue where tiss. are exposed to very high heat, mistaken for rigor   heat stiffening  
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mistaken for rigor, refrigerated bodies at <40 degrees   cold stiffening  
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in living bodies, mistaken for rigor, muscular rigidity that affects the whole body, person appears to be in a death-like coma, but not dead   catalepsy  
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a phenomenon in which the last act of life is crystallized in death, mistaken for rigor   cadaveric spasm  
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an extravascular blood discoloration, caused by hemolysis (decomp of red blood cells)   PM stain  
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causes pm stain   plasma filtration (plasma separating from blood, and blood seeping in intracellular spaces)  
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the rise in body temp immediately following somatic death   pm caloricity  
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febrile diseases, muscle activity before death, AM disturbance of body heat mechanisms, and sudden deaths are all prone to   pm caloricity  
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a breakdown of complex substances into simpler substances when one of the catalysts is water or the elements in water   hydrolysis  
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the absorption of water or any liquid by any substance   imbibition  
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decomp of a body surrounded by water   maceration  
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example of maceration   a fetus dead in utero  
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According to OSHA, must keep an MSDS for any solution with ___% or more of any hazardous chemical.   1%  
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According to OSHA, must keep an MSDS for any solution with ___% or more of any carcinogen.   .01%  
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for proper prep room ventilation, you should have air pulled from the _____ level and fresh air filtered in from the _____ level   air pulled from the floor level and fresh air filtered in from the ceiling level  
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