IN a world first, a revolutionary synthetic blood has saved an Australian woman at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.

Doctors at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne brought the 33-year-old back from the brink after a horror crash left her with severe blood loss and dangerously close to heart failure.

It was the first reported case of the synthetic blood reversing cardiac hypoxia and anaemia in a trauma patient. A last-ditch effort to save Tamara Coakley's life in October last year led to 10 units of the haemoglobin-based oxygen carrier, called HBOC-201, being flown in from the US.

It contains a molecule derived from cow's blood and restored the level of haemoglobin in her blood, which carries oxygen to the tissues.

Details of the life-saving treatment were revealed in the Medical Journal of Australia.

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

Unlike donor blood it does not require cross-matching and it can be stored without refrigeration for up to three years making it suitable for use in a rural settings or on the battlefield.

"It's a bit of science fiction," Dr Fitzgerald said. "Currently only one in 30 people give blood but one in three will need it.

"What we would eventually like to see is synthetic blood products available in remote areas of Australia and in the Defence Forces when people don't have any other option."

As a Jehovah's Witness Mrs Coakley was unable to have whole blood transfusions, however she was permitted to accept 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 picked up the cost.

Within 48 hours, the blood product had arrived in Melbourne and five units (2350ml) were administered over two days.

Despite a few close calls, including high temperatures and pneumonia, her haemoglobin levels, which carry oxygen around the body, more than doubled.

HBOC 201 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 relieve ongoing donor supply issues and give people in remote areas access to life-saving treatment.

"The other issue is storage, if you could make a synthetic blood with a long shelf life and it was portable you could carry it with you," Professor Monagle said.

But he said any synthetic blood product would have to undergo rigorous testing before it moved from a working prototype to routine practice.

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

She was overwhelmed by the lengths Dr Fitzgerald went to in order to save her life while respecting her personal choices.

"In a hospital setting you wouldn't get a person in this situation where they are forced to try something new," Mrs Coakley said yesterday.

"I'm glad something positive could come out of it.

"They did everything they could. I am so grateful for that."