The Certification Matters: A Comparative Performance Analysis of Combat Application Tourniquets versus Non-Certified CAT Look-Alike Tourniquets.

The LA-TQ applied a significantly lower force and had a higher rupture rate compared to the CAT, potentially affecting tourniquet performance in the context of public bleeding control. These findings warrant increased layperson education within the framework of the Stop the Bleed campaign and further investigations on the effectiveness of uncertified devices in real-world applications.