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Page A24 JUNE 2017 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A
By Matt Black
Embalming
Tips & Tools
The Importance
of Hands (Part 6)
Last month’s column looked at the power of non-phenol
based bleaching gel and bleaching of the fingernail beds
as a pre-embalming treatment. This installment will focus
on pre-embalming treatments of traumatized laceration
wounds and sutures in the areas of the hands.
When planning and executing a pre-embalming treat-
ment, the embalmer’s primary objective must always be
preservation. Without a solid foundation of good preserva-
tion, family satisfaction at the viewing is simply a gamble.
The embalmer can have no control over what will happen
after the body leaves the prep room unless you have taken
the required steps and laid a foundation of good preserva-
tion. Additionally, cosmetic treatment and restoration are
very difficult if you are not starting out with good preser-
vation base. Simply stated: Preservation before coloration.
Case analysis is the key to success as there are many factors
to take into consideration regarding the hands.
With age comes thinning of the epidermis on the back of
the hands. Since this thin tissue is fragile, a suggested habit
to employ is spraying the entire hand with humectant arte-
rial accessory chemical prior to pre-embalming techniques.
This moisture layer will protect hands from inverted dam-
age or trauma caused during pre-embalming treatments
and manipulation. This thinning layer of epidermis is eas-
ily damaged often resulting in small tears in the tissue. Left
untreated with massage cream or humectant arterial acces-
sory chemical initially these small tears in the epidermis are
likely to dehydrate and turn brown when exposed to air.
We frequently see sutures from medical treatments and
laceration wounds on the hands that require special treat-
ment prior to embalming. The degree of treatment for these
lacerations, suture marks or holes on the hands depends of
the severity of the damage. A suture or laceration that shows
any signs of decomposition, pooled blood, livor mortis,
A suture that is unbroken and not traumatized can often
be treated with massage cream or humectant accessory in-
jection chemicals. Until you perform your post embalm-
ing restorative treatment this will prevent shrinkage and
separation of the skin during and after embalming.
Once the laceration wound or suture area is cleaned, dis-
infected and chemically stabilized, the embalmer moves to
the next step.
I have found over the years that many embalmers like
to temporarily close a laceration wound or suture prior to
embalming. This can be done with a fast setting adhesive,
available with accelerators/activators to increase the cur-
ing speed of the adhesive. These products are quicker and
more efficient than over the counter glue.
Temporary sutures or subcutaneous sutures are difficult
to use because the tissue on the hands is rather thin. These
closures can cause puckering of the area when the edges
are drawn together prior to embalming. When the injec-
tion portion of the embalming begins the protein fixing
action of the process will help with a natural closure of
these areas. Keep in mind that during arterial embalm-
ing leakage could occur at any of these trauma sites. On
a severe deep laceration of the hands a bridge suture and
temporary use of fast setting glue may be needed to close
these deep lacerations before embalming. If a deep lacera-
tion is kept open during embalming, the fixation action of
embalming will likely make closure of the deep laceration
difficult and un-natural in appearance once closed.
In our next installment, treatment of abrasions and
burns on the hands prior to embalming will be discussed.
stains or trauma in the area of the laceration should be cleaned
then chemically stabilized. A laceration wound that is deep and
severe may also be treated with a pre-embalming treatment.
With staph infection so common in medical institutions, a pre-
embalming treatment is advised; if staph infection is not treat-
ed these simple traumas could end up causing decomposition
in the tissue.
A few guidelines on treating severe laceration wounds or trau-
matized sutures with problems:
• Assessment of the laceration wound or suture (case analysis)
• Pre-Embalming treatment or post embalming –treat-
ment required?
• Cleaning laceration wound or suture, removal of sutures if
necessary, removal of dried blood or dirt.
• Flush with tepid water and germicidal soap.
• Cleanse area with topical disinfection spray.
• Condition hands with massage cream or humectant ac-
cessory injection chemical around the laceration or su-
ture to prevent unwanted bleaching of normal tissue.
• Pre-Embalming chemical stabilization of the Laceration
wound or traumatized suture.
• Use transdermal injection of a cauterant into the lacera-
tion and surrounding tissue
• Cauterant pack around and inside of the laceration or
suture
• Cauterant gel in and around laceration or suture
• Topical embalming preservation into and around lacera-
tion wound or traumatized suture.
• Cavity fluid pack around or inside the laceration wound
or suture.
As noted in a prior article, the phenol or non-phenol prod-
ucts are preferable to formaldehyde packs or gels on any type
of laceration or suture. The ability to cauterize, bleach, dry and
preserve has its benefits and this is an advantage over cavity
packs or formaldehyde gels. The cauterizing treatment of lacer-
ation wounds or traumatized suture areas in the skin helps con-
trol leakage during embalming. The embalmer should always
be striving to dry and preserve tissue.
• Depending on the lacerations or sutures some debride-
ment might be necessary. Lacerations commonly consist of
ragged, torn tissue with trauma present. Suture areas can
also be irregular or jagged or rough.
Matt Black has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer
in the State of Pennsylvania for over 20 years. He represents The
Dodge Company in Central and Western Pennsylvania. In addi-
tion to being a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortu-
ary Science, Matt also holds degrees in Bio-Medical Engineering
Technology and Industrial Management. Matt has also attended
the Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills,
Springfield, MO, and is licensed in eye and corneal enucleation. He
has presented at Dodge Embalming Seminars as well as numer-
ous local seminars in Pennsylvania. He can be reached by email at
.
By Elleanor Davis Starks, CFSP-CCA-CCO, Founder of 100BWFS, Inc.
wanted to continue that legacy by encouraging our funeral colleagues to do the same for
the next generation of caregivers through the gift of funeral education. The generation be-
fore us always believed that “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by
what we give. The first job of leadership is to help people see their significance.”
The 100 BWFS Scholarships are non-discriminatory and are for the benefit for all mortuary students around the nation,
who have completed half of their graduation requirements. Since 1993 we have given hundreds of scholarships to deserv-
ing students who are successfully licensed and working in various roles in the industry. They are owners, licensed funeral
directors and embalmers, pre-need counselors, sales and office managers, and program directors. They have CFSP, CPC
and lots of designations behind their names. So we want to say thank you to our Memorial Scholarship Donors, thank you
Corporate Scholarship Donors, thank you to our Annual Scholarship Families, and thank you to our funeral colleagues who
are not able to sponsor a scholarship but make a donation because they care about the future of the funeral service pro-
fession. They know that helping others achieve their goals helps us to achieve our personal goals as well. In the coming
months we will introduce you to our wonderful and caring Scholarship Donors as well as our gifted and deserving mortu-
ary science students from around the nation.
Scholarship Donors & Recipients
The 100 Black Women of Funeral Service, Inc. was founded in 1993 with the purpose of leadership recognition, schol-
arship donation for promising future Funeral Service/Mortuary Science students, and mentoring to build funeral ser-
vice relations and a stronger network for women who had chosen Funeral Service as their Profession. The 100 BWFS
Memorial Scholarship was created to honor the legacies left behind by professionals of the industry who made a dif-
ference for those following in their footsteps in funeral service. They left a roadmap to success for family members who
LaTonya Nabors
Mary Athalie Range
Recipient LaTonya Na-
bors first encountered
death while working at a
nursing home at the age of
17.After her patient died,
she was honored with the
privilege of preparing her so
the family could view her.
It was in that moment
where Nabors felt she wasn’t
doing this just for the fam-
ily but most of all she want-
ed her patient to look her
best. Seeing that the small
tasks that she had done for
her patient made the family
so happy. Nabors knew her job meant something and was
proud to be a part of an industry that teaches everyone to
consider those around them and to cherish life.
“I truly believe some careers are chosen; however for me,
this profession of funeral service chose me, and I’m thank-
ful that I can be a help to those in need,” said LaTonya.
Donor: Range Funeral Homes
In 1953 Oscar Range became a certified funeral direc-
tor and opened the Range Funeral Home in Miami, FL.
Oscar died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1960.
Mary Athalie Range then enrolled in the New Eng-
land Institute of Anatomy and Embalming to obtain her
funeral director certification so that she could operate the
family business, which now includes three locations. She
served as an advisor and role model for the founding of
the 100 Black Women of Funeral Service where she served
as a life board member. Honored for her leadership in the
organization and presented as a Living Legend of Funer-
al Service, Athalie was the inspiration for the M. Athalie
Range Leadership Award. Her son N. Patrick Range, a li-
censed funeral director, established the M. Athalie Range
Leadership Scholarship for the most outstanding graduat-
ing mortuary science senior who exemplified the highest
standards of excellence as a student.
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