Fluorocarbon emulsions as blood replacement fluid: Influence on the omental microcirculation

The results of this microvascular in vivo study indicate that, at the present, the tested fluorocarbon emulsions cannot be considered as a blood substitute for clinical applications because these solutions caused the deterioration of microhemodynamic function and caused damage to both endothelial wall and blood cells. This could only be demonstrated by methods currently used for microcirculatory research since the macrohemodynamic parameters measured were not indicative of severe side effects during the experiments. Our findings indicate that the major effect of fluorocarbon emulsions on the microcirculation is due to pharmacological action which causes arteriolar constriction, vessel wall damage, and blood cell aggregation. These effects do not appear to be a consequence of the elevated oncotic pressure. Similarly, particle size associated with a 15% emulsion could not be demonstrated to be the primary cause for the observed microhemodynamic changes. We conclude that emulsions with comparatively higher concentrations of fluorocarbon could only be utilized if their pharmacological activity on the microcirculation can be controlled.