AN Australian woman's life has been saved using a radical synthetic blood substitute made from cow plasma.

In a world first, doctors at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne brought 33-year-old Tamara Coakley back from the brink after a car crash left her with severe blood loss and close to heart failure.

Her spinal cord was almost severed, her lungs collapsed, her skull was fractured, several ribs were broken, as were her cheekbone and an elbow, and her spleen was ruptured.

She was barely alive when she arrived at hospital.

"I had one litre of blood left in my body," she said.

In a last-ditch effort to save Ms Coakley's life, 10 units of the haemoglobin-based oxygen carrier HBOC201 were flown in from the US.

The synthetic contains a molecule derived from cow plasma and restored her levels of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the tissues.

Associate Professor Mark Fitzgerald said it marked an important step in the development of a viable blood alternative to address worldwide blood supply shortages.

Unlike donor blood, it does not require crossmatching and can be stored without refrigeration for up to three years.

"It's a bit of science fiction," Dr Fitzgerald said.

As a Jehovah's Witness, Ms Coakley was unable to have blood transfusions but was allowed blood substitutes.

Dr Fitzgerald was familiar with the product being developed by the US Navy because he gave independent advice on a proposed research project five years ago.

Working through the night, he negotiated with the drug manufacturer, OPK Biotech, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and airline carriers.

The Alfred's ethics committee gave the import the green light, permission was granted under the TGA's special access scheme and the manufacturer paid the bill.

HBOC201 is one of a number of blood substitutes being developed around the world.

University of Melbourne Head of Department of Paediatrics Professor Paul Monagle said synthetic blood could address donor supply issues and give people in remote areas access to life-saving treatments.

Professor Monagle said any synthetic blood product would have to undergo rigorous testing before it moved from prototype to routine practice.

Ms Coakley, who was in an induced coma during the crucial medical procedure, knows how close she came to death.

"They did everything they could, I am so grateful."

Originally published as Tamara's life saved by cow's blood