Post death procedure - East Cheshire NHS Trust

SECTION TWO - PROBLEM SOLVING(The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures 2004)Please refer to Section Five regarding the process for specific religions and culturesPROBLEMDeath occurring within 24 hours of anoperationUnexpected deathSUGGESTED ACTIONAll tubes and/or drains must be left in position. Spigotany cannulae or catheters. Treat stomas as openwounds. Leave any endotracheal or tracheostomytubes in place. Post-mortem examination will berequired to establish the cause of death. Any tubes,drains etc. may have been a major contributing factorto the death.As above. Post-mortem examination of the body willbe required to establish the cause of death.Unknown cause of deathAs above.Patient brought in already deceased. As above, unless patient seen by a medicalpractitioner within 14 days before death. In thisinstance the attending medical officer may completethe death certificate if he/she is clear as to the cause ofdeath.Patient with leaking wounds/orifices withor without infection present.Patient with hepatitis B, CJD, vCJD orwho is HIV positive.Patient who dies after receiving systemicradioactive iodine.Patients who die after insertion of goldgrains, colloidal radioactive solution,Caesium needles, caesium applicators,irridium wires or irridium hairpins.Relatives not present at the time of thepatient’s death.Relatives want to see the body afterRemoval from the ward(See also section of this policy -Mortuary)For further information please refer to the trustIsolation policy, which is accessible on theintranet.For further information refer to Ch.35, Radioactivetherapy: unsealed sources.Inform the physics department as well as appropriatemedical staff. Once a doctor has verified death, thesources are removed and placed in a lead container.A Geiger counter is used to check that all sourceshave been removed. This reduces the radiation riskwhen completing the last offices procedures. Recordthe time and date of removal of the sources.Inform the relatives as soon as possible of the death.Consider also that they may want to view the bodybefore last offices are completed. (see Section 5)Inform the mortuary staff in order to allow time for themto prepare the body. The body will normally be placedin the hospital’s chapel of rest. Ask relatives if theywish for a chaplain or other religious leader toaccompany them.As required, religious artefacts should be removedfrom or placed in the viewing room. The nurse shouldcheck that the body and environment are presentablebefore accompanying the relatives into the chapel.The relatives may want to be alone with the deceasedbut the nurse should wait outside the viewing room inorder that support may be provided should therelatives become distressed. After the relatives haveleft, the nurse should contact the portering service whowill return the body to the mortuary.4/34