Because the face, hands, and feet have the most sweat glands, a cloth saturated in a wetting solution mixed to prevent mold from excess fluids of the solution escaping in these parts is wrapped around these features until a course is assigned for study upon the cadaver, when it is unwrapped and prepared for examination. After the study of the embalmed cadaver by students attending medical school, the cadaver remains are cremated and sent to the surviving family members to keep for memorialization. Funeral homes offer this service at a cost and provide no medical education before the cremation, whereas the cost of cremation along with all other costs accrued throughout the donation process are waived in exchange for the willed body donation of a decedent for educational purposes. These costs are taken care of by the educational institutions in need of cadavers for study purchasing the cadavers from the willed body programs that took the decedents into their care. Families can still hold memorial services without the body present at a place of their choice while the body of their loved one provides essential hands-on education to the next generation of medical practitioners. Places to celebrate the life of the donor range from funeral homes the families choose to the actual homes of the families themselves in the old style of home funerals that have been used for centuries and that were around long before the funeral home business came to the fore. Families can also host celebrations of life upon receipt of the ashes if they choose to wait until studies finish. But that return of ashes can sometimes take months, if not years, depending on the course assigned to the cadaver. Most medical institutions provide detailed descriptions of when and how the embalmed cadaver was used for medical study so that the family can know just what education came from the study of their loved one. These uses vary greatly (Der Bedrosian, 2016): ● Emergency medicine. ● Orthopedic applications. ● Paramedics learning to intubate. ● Practice for plastic surgeons, particularly of novel techniques. like eyes, ears, or reproductive organs intact while they are being repaired. More specifically, plastic surgeons can compare consistencies in prosthetics and actual anatomy to practice surgeries that yield as little interruption to anatomical function as possible with severely reduced consequence of error. Also, firefighters and paramedics need to practice carrying the weight of an unconscious person, and there is no more realistic way to do so than with the weight of a lightly embalmed cadaver. EMTs inserting tracheotomy tubes can save lives in situations where oxygen is limited. Without this practice upon cadavers beforehand, the windpipe of a living person could be compromised, an insertion could accidentally reach the esophagus instead of the airway, or any part of the mouth could be permanently damaged. Cadavers help train apprentices in all these services that are so essential to public health and safety. Even more topical uses of cadavers further advancement of training and technology. Since the 1930s, cadavers have been used in automotive crash tests. The cadaver is examined via x-ray after a crash to see what damage was sustained and how vehicle safety designs could prevent damage (Wired, 2010).
own number for following its progress throughout its path to medical students. This number is reported to the state where the donation takes place, and it is usually assigned by the state’s anatomical board. Because of this, the institution or state entity can track the progress and educational use of the body at any time. To further protect the donor’s anonymity and classify the body as a specimen intended for scientific study only, anatomical embalmers shave the head and face of the donor upon receipt after removal from the place of death. This is done before the preservation process begins, when the anatomical embalmer injects a greater volume solution of stronger chemicals than those used in funeral homes, though this is still done through the arteries if the case allows. This helps yield uniform study of each specimen differentiated by age, gender, and cause of death. Anatomical solutions of preservative usually contain phenol or formalin, which are more powerful than formaldehyde alone as found in funeral home solutions. The bleach that is included in these solutions lightens the skin before the drying process ensues days after preservation. The setting of facial features becomes unnecessary, as the amount of fluid injected swells the skin of the cadaver to a state far firmer than the lifelike consistency of decedents preserved at funeral homes, thus keeping the preservation of original internal anatomy intact. Instead of the aspiration process previously described for use by funeral home embalmers, anatomical embalmers follow the arterial injections with a hypodermic injection, or low-pressure injection just beneath the skin, that is evenly distributed around the entire body to preserve the decedent from the outside. This method leaves all internal organs intact for medical students to dissect and practice upon, with opportunities for natural decay eliminated without damaging any original anatomy of the deceased. These special preservation methods used by anatomical embalmers enable the cadaver to remain preserved in room temperature storage for a number of years before and after it has been used for study. Educational benefits of anatomical embalming Benefits to families of willed body donors and to society as a whole excel in comparison to those involved in traditional funeral services, as highlighted by the vast array of possible uses of study the cadaver provides. For example, dentists need to know the details of the vast network of nerves, tissue, and vessels in their patients’ mouths. Studying safely embalmed cadavers, they can see firsthand how nerves connect to teeth and the roots holding them. Dentists can then practice surgeries with no risk of pain to the patient as they learn the diversity of each mouth, and they can see an array of effects that time and hygiene—or lack thereof— have had on the teeth of an active human’s full life on a case-by-case basis. Physical therapists can dissect cadavers to see exactly where muscles and tendons connect to bones. Before practicing physical therapy with a client, they can test the limits of the anatomical movement of each joint and know what poses would damage the tissues of a living person. Surgeons have the critical opportunity to practice repairing vital organs, tissue, and bones on cadavers as well. They can practice installing rods in the backs of cadavers; opening chests or heads to practice heart or brain surgery that could save a life in the future; or keeping more sensitive parts
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Book Code: FTX1626
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