What would constitute the ideal blood substitute?
Blood substitutes or synthetic blood are currently labeled as “oxygen carriers”. This is because they are unable to mimic many of the other functions of blood; they do not contain cells, antibodies, or coagulation factors. Their main function is to replacing lost blood volume and oxygen carrying capacity. The ideal blood substitute could be defined by the following terms: • increased availability that would rival that of donated blood, even surpass it • oxygen carrying capacity, equalling or surpassing that of biological blood • volume expansion • universal compatibility: elimination of crossmatching • pathogen free: elimination of blood contained infections • minimal side effects • survivability over a wider range of storage temperatures • long shelf life • cost efficient Partial blood substitutes not involved in oxygenation are platelet substitutes. They cover a different realm than oxygen carriers, and are created for mainly one purpose: coagulation. They are considered mainly in th
