"There are a number of ways to mess it up, " said Kragh, who is a leading researcher on methods to control bleeding.

WSJ: Once-doubted tourniquet seen as Boston lifesaver

The dust settled only in the last decade, according to some experts, following publication of studies from the Iraq war by Kragh and others that showed tourniquets were clear-cut lifesavers.

WSJ: Once-doubted tourniquet seen as Boston lifesaver