THE CURRENT STATUS OF HEMOGLOBIN-BASED BLOOD SUBSTITUTES

Haemoglobin-based red cell substitutes have recently passed a myriad o f safety studies and are now undergoing efficacy evaluation. There are numerous potential benefits with use of these solutions: they are rea dily available and have a long shelf-life; do not require typing and c ross-matching; are free of viral or bacterial contamination; lack the immunosuppressive effects of blood; and have a much lower viscosity th an blood. One-third of the 10 million units of blood transfused in the United States each year is utilized in the emergency setting. Therefo re, a safe, effective substitute for blood should have significant imp act upon the way we resuscitate bleeding patients. In this article, th e current status of the various haemoglobin-based red cell substitutes is reviewed.