The relative performance of whole blood and saline, a balanced salt-albumin solution, and Fluosol-43 were compared in an experimental animal model of combined hypoxia and hypotension. The test fluids were evaluated in terms of their respective ability to restore mean arterial pressure and provide adequate oxygen to restore and maintain a normal brain cytochrome a,a3redox state, restore and sustain normal cerebral cortical ATP and creatine phosphate concentrations (CP), and return cerebral cortical lactate concentrations to normal after the hypoxic-hypotensive period. With regard to ATP, CP, lactate, and cytochrome a,a3, all three test fluids performed equally well inasmuch as there were no significant differences between groups. None of the test regimens resulted in normal ATP concentration post-hypoxic hypotension. Although CP concentrations were lower than baseline after resuscitation, the difference was not statistically significant. Fluosol-43 resuscitation resulted in a significantly higher (p< 0.05) mean arterial pressure by 120 minutes post-resuscitation. It was concluded that Fluosol-43 is an acceptable resuscitative fluid, most beneficial at extremely low hematocrits, but that selection of Fluosol-43 over balanced salt-albumin could not be supported when post-resuscitation hematocrits were in the 20 to 25% range.