January 2021

Page A16 JANUARY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Known for quality materials and craftsmanship, Madelyn Co. Keepsake Pendants are hand-made using jewelry-grade metals. The opportunity to choose a Keepsake Pendant presents itself only once. The comfort a Keepsake Pendant offers, lasts a lifetime. www.madelynpedants.com e-mail orders@madelynco.com 800-788-0807 Fax 608-752-3683 call about monthly specials or visit ourwebsite TM K e e p s a k e P e n d a n t s July:Layout 1 6/9/20 4:33 PM Page 1 By Wally Hooker, CFSP, MBIE As we discussed last month, embalming edematous bodies are some of the more challenging preparations we face. The ultimate goal is to preserve the tissue, re- duce the ‘swelling’ and restore the deceased back to a more recognizable condition. We do this so the family will have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to their loved one, who will more closely resemble their pre-illness self. To recap what we covered…it is vitally important to conduct the pre-case analysis (which is the road map to your desired destination), have a thor- ough working knowledge of the chemicals available in your prep room and understand how to use embalm- ing chemicals with limited amounts of water. A good tip: prop the head high and keep hands up on the ab- domen and let gravity be your assistant in reducing swelling, both before and following injection. I understand many embalming practitioners debate the word ‘waterless embalming’. For the purpose of this article, I will use the term ‘waterless embalming’ to describe arterial embalming solutions without the use of additional ‘tap water’. In my opinion it is ill-ad- vised to inject additional amounts of water into super- saturated body tissues. Injecting additional water will simply cause more difficulty as we work to get the ede- ma under control. Even in a ‘normal’ case embalming, we can expect a slight secondary dilution of our embalming solutions, because we know an average adult is 60% moisture. This is why we must have an understanding of our chemicals (their intended use and expected results). Having this information is all-important when we are faced with challenging remains containing ‘gallons’ of additional moisture. For example, imagine if you will, we are dealing with remains that gained 50 lbs. of ‘water weight’ in the fi- nal stages of life, (this equates to 4.8 gallons) which is not at all uncommon. Think of lifting a five-gallon pail of water and imagine that additional volume in the de- ceased before you. What happens when we inject 3 gal- lons of an arterial solution containing tap water, with a solution strength of say 5%? The additional moisture content in the body would dilute your 5% solution to perhaps less than 1%. At this diluted strength, your ar- terial solution would be virtually ineffective, regardless of how many gallons you may inject. There are math- may need to prepare to inject more to the head, but remember, very low ROF. Once this is accomplished, we will look at the larger issue: everything from the neck down. The lower body will require higher percentage ar- terial solutions when dealing with severe edema. For example, the initial solution injected down from the carotid; 3 bottles each of: co-injection, water condi- tioner, high index fluid, one bottle of arterial with dye. This equals approximately 1 ½ gallons. Inject with high pressure/low rate of flow and do not estab- lish drainage. By injecting ‘low and slow’ you should have no difficulty injecting the entire solution in a closed system. With my manual control machine this equates to 100 psi/8oz ROF, with my automatic pres- sure machine, run at 8-12oz ROF. After injecting the initial waterless solution into a closed system, shut off your machine and wait up to 30 minutes. The vascu- lar pressure should begin to move the arterial solution from the capillary beds into the edematous tissue forc- ing it out with our drainage. As you are waiting, assess your results and think ahead to your next injection. Should it be stronger, weaker, more dye, less dye? You are the seasoned professional and are up to the task of making that judgment call. Next month we will continue the discussion on ede- ma. We will focus on the lower extremity embalming as well as the final touches needed, ensuring dry, open casket results. Until then, stay safe. Remember, don’t be a Knucklehead embalmer, always go above and beyond! ematic formulas for figuring and substantiating this phe- nomenon. Formaldehyde demand is great and necessary to adequately preserve these bodies, prevent decomposi- tion and reduce swelling. The appropriate approach to adequately embalm an edematous body is to use accessory fluids as a carrier for the formaldehyde. We can attack the edema, chemical- ly and physically (i.e. pressure, gravity, channeling and wicking). These grossly edematous bodies are a battle and we must pull out all the stops if we are to be successful. Regardless of the face and neck showing disfigurement from edema, I suggest beginning the embalming using a Restricted Cervical Injection (RCI). This will give you better control and less chance for swelling the face, eyes or neck when you inject downward from the right com- mon carotid artery. I routinely mix my arterial solutions just one gallon at a time. This gives you flexibility to make changes and corrections if things aren’t going well. We don’t want to over embalm the head, nor do we want to ‘under-embalm’ the head. If edema swelling is not present in the face, I suggest using your normal arterial solution and thoroughly em- balm the head and ligate the arteries. If edema is present, I would use two bottles each of the following; co-injection, water conditioner, edema reducing chemical and high in- dex arterial fluid and enough dye to create a good ‘glow’. This solution equals one US gallon and for moderate to significant edema should be adequate. I achieve the best results using high pressure and very low rate of flow. It takes patience and your patience will be rewarded. If you push the fluid too fast (ROF) you risk causing additional swelling and blotchiness. By their chemical formulation, the fluids will pass through the arterial system and force the edema from the tissue into the vascular system and much can be removed with your drainage. One of the keys to success (in any embalming) is re- stricted/intermittent drainage. We must push the arterial solution deep into the tissue, in order to adequately fixate and preserve the tissue. As you inject, keep a close eye on the face for any signs of additional swelling, if you expe- rience any swelling, lower your ROF. Let your eyes and hands guide you…have you seen a reduction in swelling, does the tissue seem to have firmed? Palpate the lips, ear- lobes, eye lids for fixation, look for color diffusion. If you have accomplished these things, well done! If not, you FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Wallace P. (Wally) Hooker CFSP, MBIE, is the owner, funeral direc - tor and embalmer of Family & Friends Funeral Home of Wingate, IN. He and his wife, Janet designed, established and built their funeral home in 2004. Wally is a graduate of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, where he serves on the Advisory Board. He is Past President of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association and board member of North American Division of the British Institute of Embalmers. In addition, he has served as chief deputy coroner/ investigator of Fountain County, IN for the last 24 years. Embalming 101 Moisture Considerations Rollings Funeral Service continues to Grow Michael Weinstein Morton Weinstein Weinstein Mortuary TYRONE,GA — Rollings Funeral Service is excited to share the news on their recent partnership with Wein- stein Mortuary in Hartford, CT. The business, operated by cousins, Morton and Michael Weinstein, has been well established in the Hartford community for 80 years. Greg Rollings, president and CEO, of Rollings Fu- neral Service commented “For eight decades, Weinstein Mortuary has proudly served Connecticut by providing guidance, understanding, and compassion when the community experienced a death. We’re excited to be teaming up and look for- ward to the next chapter of our partnership.” Roll- ings also added that this marks his first partnership in Connecticut. Speaking with Morton Weinstein, it was suc- cession planning that brought him and Michael to Rollings Funeral Ser- vice. In 1940, Herman Weinstein established the funeral home in Hart- ford and was joined by his brother, Paul, after WWII. They were then later joined by their sons, Morton and Michael. However, with none of Morton or Michael’s children in- terested in entering the funeral business, they knew they needed to find the right fit to continue their legacy and maintain continuity for their community. “Since Greg and Debbie Rollings shared the same principles as us and they’re fam- ily owned, we were comfortable with joining Rollings,” said Morton. He also noted that partnering with Roll- Continued on Page A17 Scan QR for our website 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Mortuary Coolers starting at $4,299 Beat the price increase increase coming March 2021