ABSTRACT
Background/Objective: In a rapidly developing world where conflicts are inevitable and accidents
and other forms of trauma are constantly encountered there is an increased need for blood transfusion
to keep victims ofthese events alive. As the need for blood increases, there is a corresponding decrease
in the amount of blood available for transfusion due to increased demand and a falling donor pool. In
addition, there are people who due to religious reasons abhor blood transfusion. The emergence ofthe
HIV epidemic has made blood transfusion a hazard especially in resource poor countries. In order to
meet these challenges there has been efforts to shift emphasis from blood transfusion to artificial blood
substitute. This review brings to the fore the available substitutes.
Methods: Literature on the subject was reviewed using manual library search, articles injoumals,
internet search and conference abstracts.
Results: Efforts to develop an alternative to blood has been going on in the past four decades and
various approaches have been used to see which ofthese compounds will meet the requirement for an
ideal blood substitute. The research has been spurred by many factors chief among which is the need
to meet the ever increasing demand for blood in the event of surgical procedures, trauma management
and those who detest blood transfusion. Great advances have been made and currently researchers
have developed up to third generation blood substitutes which have undergone clinical trails up to
Address for Correspondence:
Borke, M.E, Department ofHaematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Delta
State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria. Email: monaborkeme@:;vahoo.com
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THE NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF GENERAL PRACTICE - VOL. 08 NO. 04, NOVEMBER, 2009
phase three trials. It is hoped that in not too distant future these products will be avai Iable for routine
use, thus making blood donation irrelevant in the management of critically ill patients.