Tips from the back room

The use of dry ice in shipping unembalmed bodies has always been a gray area. While some airlines have permitted a limited amount of dry ice, others have refused to accept any amount.

The accepted amount of dry ice in a combo unit is five pounds total. Some airlines will allow a little more than this, but will charge extra.

¨ Place the remains in a lightweight pouch, lay a second pouch in the combo unit.

¨ Place the dry ice along the bottom, beneath the head, chest, abdomen and feet.

¨ Place the pouched remains on top of the dry ice and zip up the outside bag. Wrap the bag in the plastic furnished with the combo unit and ship as you ordinarily would.

If shipping a remains with dry ice, be sure to let the airlines know when making your reservations. Also make sure that the outside of the combo unit is visibly marked “Dry Ice.”

Some of the medical research companies who we ship to regularly prefer that we use the chemical gel packs. These can be purchased at any drug store. We use approximately 15 of these distributed along the body with special attention paid to the abdominal area. If the body has been refrigerated twenty-four hours before shipment, there should be no problems.

Also remember to book your flight so the connections are within four hours of each other and the remains will arrive at its destination within twenty-four hours.

Another use for dry ice is to remedy maggot infestation. Our local pathologist taught us to place an aluminum pan inside the body bag (usually between the feet). Place about four pounds of dry ice in the pan and pour in about two inches of hot water. Close the bag and seal the zipper to keep vapors in. (We cover it tightly with a casket plastic.) After a few hours, the dry ice has filled the body bag with carbon dioxide and asphyxiates the maggots and other parasites inside the bag. The dry ice dissipates on its own and is no problem.

About the author:

Brian Simmons owns and operates Springfield Mortuary Service in Springfield. He currently serves as President of the Ninth District of the Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association.

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