Fluosol

Fluosol is an artificial blood substitute which is milky in color. Its main ingredients are perfluorodecalin or perfluorotributylamine in Fluosol-DA and Fluosol-43 respectively, perfluorochemicals suspended in an albumin emulsion. It was developed in Japan and first tested in the United States in 1982, its recipients being individuals who refused blood transfusions on religious grounds. Fluosol serves as a dissolving medium for oxygen. In order to "load" sufficient amounts of oxygen into it, patients must breathe pure oxygen by mask or must be in a hyperbaric chamber. While initially promising for therapy of heart attack, carbon monoxide poisoning, and sickle-cell anemia, research also indicates that Fluosol may depress the patient's immune system.

Given its low viscosity it could be used in cases of stenosis

Fluosol is the only blood substitute approved to date by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical use in the circulatory system (New Drug Application N860909, 1989). The FDA and eight other countries approved Fluosol not for the use of reducing the amount of allogenic blood units transfused but for use during cardiac angioplasty. This procedure was noted to reduce the mycoardial oxygenation leading to ST segment elevation on ECGs, angina, and reduced ejection fraction. Use of Fluosol reduced these symptoms and allowed for longer cardiac antiplasty times.

From 1989 to 1992, Fluosol was used in more than 40,000 human subjects. Due to difficulty with the emulsion storage of Fluosol use (frozen storage and rewarming), its popularity declined and its production ended.

Fluosol is associated with a reduction in ischemic complications and with an increase in pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure.