The Cadaver Conundrum: Sourcing and Anatomical Embalming of Human Dead Bodies by Medical Schools during and after COVID-19 Pandemic: Review and Recommendations

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has posed a new challenge for medical schools across the world regarding the acceptance of donated and unclaimed dead bodies for academic purpose. Uncertainty of the COVID-19 status among the donated bodies poses a health risk for embalming personnel and medical students who handle the embalmed cadavers. There is a paucity of literature delineating the criteria for accepting or rejecting the bodies during COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, there is no recommended standard operating procedure for anatomical embalming during COVID-19. We propose certain criteria for accepting and rejecting the human dead bodies for anatomical embalming. And we propose some technical modifications to the conventional procedure of formalin-based anatomical embalming. A guarded approach and diligent screening of donated bodies is the way forward during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One year of anatomy teaching and learning in the outbreak: Has the Covid‐19 pandemic marked the end of a century‐old practice? A systematic review

“…Therefore, it's clear now, more than ever how the rules and procedures regarding anatomic specimens, eventually positive or suspect for Covid‐19, must be re‐thought and implemented to guarantee the proper and safe management of the sample and all users (Osborn et al, 2020; Manzanares‐Céspedes et al, 2021; Rajasekhar & Dinesh, 2021).…”

Anatomical variants identified on chest computed tomography of 1000+ COVID‐19 patients from an open‐access dataset

“…Typically, anatomical studies are conducted using institutionally provided materials such as cadaveric samples or dried skeletons provided by donations. In many countries, shortage of body donors results in lower availability of cadavers, which hampers not just dissection opportunities for students but also other cadaver‐based activities including anatomical research (Chen et al, 2018 ; Rajasekhar & Dinesh Kumar, 2021 ). The COVID‐19 pandemic has undoubtedly worsened the situation because of the lack or slow delivery of recommendations from the regulatory authorities regarding the management of donated bodies, causing many institutions to suspend their body donation programs (Rajasekhar & Dinesh Kumar, 2021 ).…”

Thought, Attitudes, and Practices of the Anatomy Departments on Receiving and Embalming Cadavers During the Pandemic Process

“…However, the virus has been reported to be viable in water for seven days (Tran et al, 2021), in aerosols for up to 3 hours, on copper for up to 4 hours, on cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and stainless steel for up to 2-3 days (van Doremalen et al, 2020). Therefore, considering that it may be potentially contagious to personnel when receiving and embalming the body (Rajasekhar & Dinesh Kumar, 2021), the safety measures applied for the receipt and primary use of any human cadaver should cover the risk of COVID-19 infection, and taking appropriate precautions is essential for the health of healthcare professionals and the prevention of transmission is thought to be.…”

“…Phenol is used as a disinfectant in an embalming solution at a 5 % concentration. Therefore, an ethanol and phenol-based embalming solution has been reported to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 as soon as possible effectively (Rajasekhar & Dinesh Kumar, 2021).…”