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Mortuary |
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Guidelines for Managing Deaths due to Infection.
Mortuary staff, Porters, members of the ambulance service and Funeral Director staff need to know if a body which they are to handle is either known or suspected to be infectious, and understand the requirements of relevant standard operating procedures. The information that needs to be given will not be the precise identity of a particular infectious agent, but should warn of any potential for transmission by inoculation, inhalation or hand to mouth contact. All bodies that present a risk of infection or to reduce the risk of contamination from body fluids should be placed in a body bag. Documentation should be placed in the document pouch on the outside of the body bag.
It is the job of the Mortuary staff to present the body of the deceased in an aesthetically acceptable state for the bereaved to pay their last respects and to proceed with their funeral arrangements. Preparation of the body will routinely involve what is called ‘hygienic preparation’. As a general rule, standard infection control procedures will be continued after death as in life. If however the deceased had or was suspected to have had a potentially dangerous infection, these procedures may be contraindicated.
If the deceased
died because of an infection, or if an infection was not the direct cause
of death but contributed to it, this will be stated on the Death Certificate.
However for certain infections, it is important that relevant information
is included on the Body Transfer Form which is attached to the body sheet or
bag of the deceased. This informs the Mortuary staff of what precautions
they need to take.
The most
common infections for which Mortuary staff and Funeral Directors require
notification are listed below.
Please note that this does not include infection due to MRSA or Clostridium
difficile.
| INFECTION | METHOD OF TRANSMISSION |
| COVID19 | Inhalation and contact with contaminated surfaces |
| Tuberculosis | Inhalation |
| Meningococcal septicaemia or meningitis | Inhalation |
| Hepatitis B or C | Inoculation |
| HIV | Inoculation |
| Group A streptococcus | Inoculation |
| CJD, new variant CJD | Inoculation |