What are red cell substitutes?
A. Perfluorocarbons are synthetic oils with high solubility (oxygen is twenty times more soluble as that in water). These carriers provide oxygen to areas of tissues where red cells cannot reach (fluorocarbons can squeeze through arterial deposits & clots because of its small size) such as myocardial infarctions & stroke. They have also been used in liquid ventilation. For more details – see liquid ventilation.
