PolyHeme

PolyHeme was a proposed temporary oxygen-carrying blood substitute made from human hemoglobin for emergency treatment of trauma situations where large volumes of blood are lost, with emphasis on situations where fresh blood for transfusion is not readily available. It originally began as a military project following the Vietnam war and was being developed by Northfield Laboratories, Inc. until clinical trial data showed Polyheme patients suffered increased morbidity, suspected as being due to vasoconstrictive side effects. Operations were shut down in 2009.