Dealing with Death: Practices and procedures

288 Pages·1991·5.361 MB·English

by  Jennifer Green, Michael Green (auth.)

Dealing with Death
Dealing with Death
Practices and procedures
Jennifer Green
Consultant
Public Health Medicine
Pontefract Health Authority
and
Michael Green
Professor
Forensie Pathology
University of Sheffield;
Consultant Pathologist
Horne Office
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.
First edition 1992
© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Chapman & Hall in 1992
Typeset in 10/12 pt Palatino by Graphicraft, Hong Kong
ISBN 978-0-412-36410-5
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The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with
regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Green, Jennifer, 1938-
Dealing with death : practices and procedures / Jennifer Green and
Michael Green.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographieal references and index.
ISBN 978-0-412-36410-5 ISBN 978-1-4899-7216-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4899-7216-3
1. Death. 2. Buriallaws--Great Britain. 3. Death-Religious
aspects. I. Green, Michael, 1938- . 11. Title.
RAI063.G74 1991
306.9-dc20 91-16065
CIP
Far Tana and Maia
Contents
Acknowledgements xvi
Preface xviii
Part One Legal and Technical Aspects 1
1 Customs and laws 3
General background 3
The general legal requirement relating to death 6
Burial at sea 10
Export of bodies 11
2 Medical certification of cause of death 13
History - Legislation since 1836 13
Present situation 15
The format of the death certificate 15
Accuracy of death certification 16
Common pitfalls of death certification 20
Current proposals for changes in medical
certification procedure 21
References 22
3 Registration of death 23
History 23
The office of Registrar 24
Registration without reference to the Coroner 25
Registration after reference to the Coroner 27
Registration in special circumstances 28
Stillbirth and neonatal death certification 29
Certificate of no liability to register 29
Registration of deaths in Scotland and Northern
Ireland 30
References 31
4 Coroners and Coroner' s inquiries 32
History 32
viii Contents
Present situation 34
Deaths which must be reported 35
Courses of action 36
Inquests 39
Verdicts 40
Scotland: The Procurator Fiscal 45
References 46
5 Stillbirth and death in infancy - certification and
registration 47
Definitions of miscarriage, stillbirth, perinatal and
neonatal deaths 47
Stillbirth certificates and registration 48
Perinatal and neonatal deaths 51
'Cot death' 53
References 53
6 The autopsy and mortuary practice 54
Introduction 54
History of the autopsy 55
The reasons for autopsy 56
When may an autopsy be performed 57
The Coroner's autopsy 58
Autopsy technique 58
Mortuary design and administration 60
Documentation 61
References 62
7 Funeral direction and disposal by burial 64
Modern Funeral Direction 64
Embalming 66
Disposal by burial 68
Burials in churchyards 69
Burials in municipal and private cemeteries 70
Registration of burials 71
References 72
8 Disposal by cremation 73
History 73
Scientific principles 73
Cremation legislation and certificates required 74
Conclusion 78
References 79
Contents ix
9 Organ and tissue donation, transplantation and
disseetion 80
History of organ and tissue donation and
transplantation 80
Seleetion of donors 81
Brain death eriteria 81
The role of the Coroner 82
The transplant eoordinator 84
Leaving my body to scienee - Anatomical
disseetions 84
Referenees 88
10 The law and praetiee of exhumation 89
Exhumation under the authority of the Seeretary of
State 90
Exhumation by order of the Coroner 90
The praetiee of exhumation on behalf of the
Coroner 91
Health and Safety aspeets of exhumation 92
Referenees 93
11 Fatal mass disasters 94
Types of disaster 94
Investigation versus identifieation 94
Disaster planning 95
Facilities required for fatal major disasters 96
References 99
PartTwo Considerations for the Living, Care of the
Dying, and Death with Dignity 101
12 Palliative eare 103
Department of Health guidanee 104
The delivery of palliative eare 105
Symptom eontrol 108
Care of the dying ehild 110
Quality in terminal ca re 111
Referenees 113
13 Last offices 114
When not to perform last offices 114
When to perform last offices 115
x Contents
Equipment for last offices 116
Procedure 117
Care of orifices 118
General toilet 118
]ewellery and religious emblems 118
Labelling the body 119
Shrouding the body 120
Additional information required 120
Clearing up and checking property 121
Helping the bereaved 121
'Limited laying-out' 122
Procedure following an alleged assault 122
Corneal transplant donors 123
14 Bereavement 124
Grief 124
The pattern of grief 125
Complicated grief 125
The death of a baby 126
Major disasters 127
Covert relationships 127
What is counselling? 128
The principles of bereavement counselling 128
Support organizations 129
References 129
15 The control of infection in life and in death 130
The routes of infection 130
The law and infectious disease 131
Classification of microorganisms, viruses and
materials 133
Place of treatment for infectious disease 134
Good practice in infection control 134
Protective c10thing 137
Ward practice for infectious disease deaths: last
offices 137
Terminal c1eaning 138
Mortuary practice for infectious disease deaths 138
Post mortem examinations 139
Special situations 139
References 145
Contents xi
Part Three Religious, Ethnic and Cultural Aspects of
Dying and Death 147
16 Christianity and Sacraments 149
Christianity 149
17 The Anglican Church (The Church in Wales, the
Church in Ireland, the Episcopalian Church in
Scotland) 151
Baptism 151
Anointing 152
Post mortem examinations 153
Donation of the body for research and teaching 153
Blood transfusion 153
Organ transplants 154
Funerals 154
Abortion 154
Stillbirths 154
18 The Roman Catholic Church 155
The Sacraments 155
Diet 156
Post mortems 157
Blood transfusion 157
Organ donation 157
Abortion 157
Miscarriage or stillbirth 157
Funerals 157
19 Free churches and other churches 159
Last offices 160
Post mortems 160
Blood transfusion 160
Organ transplantation 160
Body for research 160
Funerals 161
References 161
20 Jehovah's Witnesses 162
Jehovah's Witnesses and the question of blood 162
Religious ceremonies (the Sacraments) 163
Jehovah's Witnesses in hospital 164