BLOOD SUBSTITUTES Meaning and
Definition
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Blood substitutes are synthetic or natural substances designed to serve as alternatives to real blood for therapeutic purposes. These substitutes are used in situations where the availability of real blood is limited, or when blood transfusion carries inherent risks or is not possible due to medical or logistical reasons. Blood substitutes aim to replicate the oxygen-carrying capacity and volume-expanding properties of real blood, thereby maintaining adequate tissue oxygenation and supporting the body's vital functions.
Blood substitutes can be classified into two main categories: oxygen carriers and volume expanders. Oxygen carriers are compounds that can bind and transport oxygen to tissues, mimicking the function of red blood cells. They can be based on perfluorocarbons, hemoglobin-based products, or other synthetic molecules. Volume expanders, on the other hand, are substances that increase the blood fluid volume, promoting blood flow and maintaining blood pressure. They can include plasma substitutes, such as albumin or hydroxyethyl starch, which do not carry oxygen but help maintain hemodynamic stability.
Development and approval of blood substitutes are subject to rigorous testing and regulatory procedures to ensure their safety and efficacy. Clinical indications for their use may include trauma, surgery, anemia, or critical care situations. However, blood substitutes are not without their limitations, and some challenges still need to be addressed, such as potential side effects, long-term safety, and the ability to fully replicate the complex properties of real blood. Nonetheless, blood substitutes continue to be an area of active research and innovation.
Common Misspellings for BLOOD SUBSTITUTES
- vlood substitutes
- nlood substitutes
- hlood substitutes
- glood substitutes
- bkood substitutes
- bpood substitutes
- boood substitutes
- bliod substitutes
- blkod substitutes
- bllod substitutes
- blpod substitutes
- bl0od substitutes
- bl9od substitutes
- bloid substitutes
- blokd substitutes
- blold substitutes
- blopd substitutes
- blo0d substitutes
- blo9d substitutes
- bloos substitutes
Etymology of BLOOD SUBSTITUTES
The word "blood substitutes" is a compound noun composed of two individual words: "blood" and "substitutes".
1. Blood: The word "blood" can be traced back to the Old English word "blod", which has Germanic origins. It is related to the Dutch word "bloed" and the Old High German word "bluot". These words ultimately go back to the Proto-Germanic word "blōdan", which means "to bleed".
2. Substitutes: The word "substitutes" is derived from the Latin word "substitutus", which is the past participle of the verb "substituere". In Latin, "sub" means "under" or "in place of", and "stituere" means "to set up" or "to place".
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