Re: can humans (premature babies) breathe perfluorocarbon?

My guess is that use of perfluorocarbon for premature babies and for deep diving/military uses is still a long way off. The report may be based on recent experimental developments with perfluorocarbons (PFCs), of which a few examples now follow.

Earlier this year, a Canadian group reported the following conclusions from their experiments in pigs:

"Partially filling the lung with PFC results in a redistribution of pulmonary blood flow away from the dependent region of the lung. During PLV a different blood flow distribution may be seen between inspiration and expiration. The clinical significance of these findings has yet to be determined." [Emphasis added by me.]

Somewhat analogous experiments with PFCs were reported from Switzerland . Perfluorocarbon emulsions were clinically evaluated as artificial oxygen carriers to reduce allogeneic blood transfusions or to improve tissue oxygenation. The Swiss researchers suggest, "... uses of perfluorocarbon emulsions will include treatments of diseases with compromised tissue oxygenation such as cerebral or myocardial ischaemia, air embolism and emergency or trauma surgery as long as no allogeneic blood is available."

Finally, very recently from Germany it was reported that PFCs may have important applications in lung transplant operations. Again using pigs as experimental animals for lungs transplants, " ... Pulmonary graft function was assessed after reperfusion for 5 hr by measuring pulmonary gas exchange and hemodynamics during isolated ventilation and perfusion."

This is an exciting, new area for application of substances chemically related to the refrigerant Freon. This PFC was taken off the market because it was implicated in destroying the protective ozone layer in the earth's upper atmosphere. At risk of mixing metaphors, when it comes to PFCs every cloud has a silver lining!