CATs from Amazon

There have been some concerns that the tourniquets I linked to on Amazon in this post might have been counterfeit. I received the ones I ordered and I am pleased to announce they appear to be the genuine article. Here is a picture:

WP_20130807_001

The way you can tell the real thing from a counterfeit, at least the ones we saw in class, was by the end. If it is stitched on the end instead of welded then it is counterfeit. See the little dots, slightly darker the rest of the material, in the red end? Those are the welds.

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3 thoughts on “CATs from Amazon

  1. There are multiple ‘tells’ for the counterfeit ones. About a year ago, it was pretty easy to find the full text of the FDA doc describing specifically what to look for, but now that the word is out, a web search brings up too many results to find an actual useful text. IIRC, the diameter of the windlass is one such item. You’d think North Amercian Rescue would have something like that prominently linked from their site, but I didn’t see it there either. As a general rule, buy from a reputable merchant. I got mine from Grunt Gear, via Amazon.

    One thing I hadn’t noticed about them, until I got mine, is that it’s labeled as a ‘single use item’.

    • Single use makes sense. It saves a single life, gets written on, and gets all bloody.
      Yes, it would make sense that the maker of the best one would have a list of what to look for in counterfeits – but then, the counterfeit makers would have a checklist to use to look at for how to make better knock-offs.

  2. Blood pressure cuffs can work well as tourniquets when needed. I’ve used them before on artery lacerations when actual tourniquets were unavailable. Plus they have the convenience of being able to be inflated and deflated quickly, useful for evaluating the wound to see if anything is “geyser-ing” red transmission fluid. They’ll only probably work on upper extremities, at least that’s where I’ve used them.

    Just another thought to add to your survival kit.

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