Perfluorocarbons as Blood Substitutes: The Early Years: Experience with Fluosol DA-20% in the 1980s

Clinical testing of perfluorocarbons (PFC) as blood substitutes began in the early 1980's in the form of Fluosol DA-20% (FDA), a mixture of perfluorodecalin and perfluorotripropylamine emulsified with Pluronic F68. We have treated 55 patients (Treatment (T) = 40; Control (C) = 15) with intravenous infusions of 30 cc/kg of FDA as part of either a randomized, clinical trial or a humanitarian protocol. All patients were Jehovah's Witnesses who refused blood transfusion and were severely anemic (mean hemoglobin = 4.6 g/d). FDA successfully increased dissolved or plasma oxygen content (PlO2 in ml/dl), but not overall oxygen content (T group: PlO2 baseline = 1.01±.27, P102 12hrs = 1.58±.47 [p =