Coagulation

The first is the physiological coagulation cascade, which is used to describe a very complex step-by-step process that occurs in the body (in vivo) when a blood vessel is injured. Several special proteins known as coagulation factors are activated one after the other in a “cascade” effect. The end result is a blood clot that creates a barrier over the injury site, protecting it until it heals. This process also involves a feedback system that regulates clot formation in the body so that clots are removed when the injury site is healed

Activated Clotting Time (ACT) measures the time in seconds for whole blood to clot at 37°C upon exposure to contact activator like diatomaceous earth.