blood substitute

medicine

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Last updated

July 22, 2026

Quick Summary

Blood substitutes are substances designed to temporarily mimic some functions of human blood, primarily oxygen transport. They are developed to address severe blood loss or shortages of donated blood. The two main types are hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers and perfluorocarbon emulsions. While they can assist in oxygen delivery, no blood substitute can fully replicate all of blood's functions, such as immune defense and clotting. Blood transfusions, on the other hand, replace lost or deficient blood components to restore normal bodily functions, treating conditions like anemia or clotting disorders.12

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blood transfusion
Blood substitutes
Shortages in blood supplies and concerns about the safety of donated blood have fueled the development of so-called blood substitutes. The two major types of blood substitutes are volume expanders, which include solutions such as saline that are used to replace lost plasma…
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Shortages in blood supplies and concerns about the safety of donated blood have fueled the development of so-called blood substitutes. The two major types of blood substitutes are volume expanders, which include solutions such as saline that are used to replace lost plasma…
Read More