How to prevent the needle from coagulating?

[xburtonchic]

I use a 31 gauge needle, lately I've been having problems with the blood coagulating almost instantly. Sometimes I can get it out if I push hard enough, but then everything including my DOC sprays everywhere and it's wasted. Other times it just won't come out at all, which renders both the syringe AND my DOC entirely uneffective. Either way, it's a huge waste and it's becoming a pain in the ass.

So does anyone have any tips that they use to prevent coagulation?

Also, what IS coagulation exactly? Why does it happen? Maybe if I knew the method behind it, I could figure out a way to stop it...

 

[Venrak]

Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel. Disorders of coagulation can lead to an increased risk of bleeding (hemorrhage) or obstructive clotting (thrombosis).

Coagulation is highly conserved throughout biology; in all mammals, coagulation involves both a cellular (platelet) and a protein (coagulation factor) component. The system in humans has been the most extensively researched and is therefore the best understood.

Coagulation begins almost instantly after an injury to the blood vessel has damaged the endothelium lining the vessel. Exposure of the blood to proteins such as tissue factor initiates changes to blood platelets and the plasma protein fibrinogen, a clotting factor. Platelets immediately form a plug at the site of injury; this is called primary hemostasis. Secondary hemostasis occurs simultaneously: Proteins in the blood plasma, called coagulation factors or clotting factors, respond in a complex cascade to form fibrin strands, which strengthen the platelet plug

In the spirit of harm reduction, I would just get some 29 or 30 gauges since you don't want to interfere with your body's ability to coagulate.