# How long does it take for the body's blood to completely clot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852 "2019-02-19T20:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852/1 "2019-02-19T20:14:28Z")
No. I don’t need an answer fast. Watching a murder mystery show where the killer takes a chainsaw to his latest already dead victim, and my dad and I comment on the bloody mess that would result. My stepmum says that if he waited an hour, the blood in the victim’s body would entirely clot. Is that right? Entirely clotted? That seems…really fast. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852/2 "2019-02-19T21:04:57Z")
[ul] [li]If there is a wound in the wall of the blood vessel the blood will coagulate, (just as in a living person), in the minutes immediately after death.[/li][li]If there is no wound in the walls of the blood vessel, the blood will remain liquid for several days, after which it starts to decompose.[/li][/ul] [My qualifications on the subject? A degree from the University of Google](http://gira.cadouarn.pagesperso-orange.fr/english/medicine/hematology.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852/3 "2019-02-19T22:30:32Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [ul] > [li]If there is a wound in the wall of the blood vessel the blood will coagulate, (just as in a living person), in the minutes immediately after death.[/li][li]If there is no wound in the walls of the blood vessel, the blood will remain liquid for several days, after which it starts to decompose.[/li][/ul] From a friend who has worked at a mortuary, this is certainly correct. They had a specific procedure for draining out the blood & replacing it with embalming fluid. Sounded rather gross, actually. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852/4 "2019-02-20T00:55:35Z")
The individual blobs of blood may clot, and what doesn’t clot will dry out, but either way, there will be no blood flow after death because there is no blood pressure. Once again: Qadgop? ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852/5 "2019-02-20T04:34:40Z")
Contrary to what the movies show (blood gushing out the body), once the heart stops, there’s nothing to force the blood out since there’s no pump. This is why hunters usually hang their kill as soon a possible, to allow gravity to drain the remaining blood. Oops…just noticed nearwildheaven said the same thing. No pressure to cause the blood to flow other than gravity. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852/6 "2019-02-20T04:42:03Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > From a friend who has worked at a mortuary, this is certainly correct. They had a specific procedure for draining out the blood & replacing it with embalming fluid. Sounded rather gross, actually. I wrote a bit about this in another thread. I worked at a mortuary and watched the embalming process several times. Basically large needles are inserted into the body at various points (notably the bottom of the feet) and as the embalming fluid is pumped through the body, the blood is pushed out through another tube into a basin. The blood was generally free-flowing, but sometime a clot would block the needle or tube and the clog would have to be cleared and a new spot on the body used. The oddest things I saw were that the morticians had to massage the hands and feet to get the blood to flow and if someone was autopsied or had been cut open, the needle would be placed directly in the exposed flesh (think injecting sauce into a rack of ribs). Smaller cuts or wounds were generally sutured shut or the fluid would leak out. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-the-bodys-blood-to-completely-clot/829852/7 "2019-02-20T04:42:49Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > This is why hunters usually hang their kill as soon a possible, to allow gravity to drain the remaining blood. But not if you’re planning to make blood sausage.