Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jan;132(1):119-129.
doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000003957.

Blood Substitutes and Oxygen Therapeutics: A Review

Jonathan S Jahr  1 , Nicole R Guinn  2 , David R Lowery  3   4 , Linda Shore-Lesserson  5 , Aryeh Shander  6   7
Affiliations
Review

Blood Substitutes and Oxygen Therapeutics: A Review

Jonathan S Jahr et al. Anesth Analg. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Despite the exhaustive search for an acceptable substitute to erythrocyte transfusion, neither chemical-based products such as perfluorocarbons nor hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers have succeeded in providing a reasonable alternative to allogeneic blood transfusion. However, there remain scenarios in which blood transfusion is not an option, due to patient's religious beliefs, inability to find adequately cross-matched erythrocytes, or in remote locations. In these situations, artificial oxygen carriers may provide a mortality benefit for patients with severe, life-threatening anemia. This article provides an up-to-date review of the history and development, clinical trials, new technology, and current standing of artificial oxygen carriers as an alternative to transfusion when blood is not an option.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Weiskopf RB, Beliaev AM, Shander A, et al. Addressing the unmet need of life-threatening anemia with hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers. Transfusion. 2017;57:207–214.
    1. Matton APM, Burlage LC, van Rijn R, et al. Normothermic machine perfusion of donor livers without the need for human blood products. Liver Transpl. 2018;24:528–538.
    1. Davis JM, El-Haj N, Shah NN, et al. Use of the blood substitute HBOC-201 in critically ill patients during sickle crisis: a three-case series. Transfusion. 2018;58:132–137.
    1. Shellington DK, Du L, Wu X, et al. Polynitroxylated pegylated hemoglobin: a novel neuroprotective hemoglobin for acute volume-limited fluid resuscitation after combined traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic hypotension in mice. Crit Care Med. 2011;39:494–505.
    1. Amberson WR. Blood substitutes. Biol Rev Camb Philos. 1937;12:48–86.

MeSH terms