9 Hospital Rules & Protocols The Pitt's Staff Broke In Season 1 -

In the first season of HBO’s The Pitt, viewers meet a team of talented doctors who are willing to do just about anything for their patients, yet sometimes, the best care comes with some serious rule-breaking. Released in January 2025, The Pitt has quickly become a must-watch medical drama. It has not only been praised for its medical accuracy and juicy drama, but for its ability to nail down the big issues that plague healthcare workers every day. Every member of The Pitt’s cast contributes to this wonderful web of storytelling.

There is little doubt that the doctors, nurses, and students that appear on The Pitt are good at what they do. The Pitt season 1 showcases some incredible saves and plenty of impressive medical technology. However, good medicine does not always equate to following all the rules, and in fact, The Pitt offers plenty of moments where rules are broken with mostly good intentions. Though not all of these decisions have happy endings, they speak to the rigidities of healthcare and the lengths that are gone to in order to save someone’s life.

8

Treating Patients Without X-Rays & Tests

What The PittFest Shooting Proved About Medicine

One pretty general rule that is broken in The Pitt is doctors treating patients without first taking X-rays or completing other important tests. Typically, medical workers are mandated to do tests in order to get a better idea of their patient’s ailment so that they can use the best treatment. However, in the face of the PittFest shooting, Dr. Robby and his team were forced to act fast so that more lives would be saved. There was no time for X-rays. Thus, they were ignored completely.

Medical tests are an integral part of diagnosis and treatment, but The Pitt shows the rare occasions in which they are more of a hindrance than a help.

Medical tests are an integral part of diagnosis and treatment, but The Pitt shows the rare occasions in which they are more of a hindrance than a help. When so many critical patients are brought into the ER, there is no time or space to take them through long tests. Instead, it is better to treat first and ask questions later, if only so that person’s life isn’t lost in a waiting room. Ultimately, this is a broken rule, but one that is for the betterment of patients.

7

Trainees Completing Procedures Without Attending Supervision

The Pitt Shows The Positives Of This (But Not The Negatives)

Another similar rule that gets overlooked in The Pitt season 1 is trainees completing procedures without the supervision of an attending. Because The Pitt is a teaching hospital, certified doctors are joined by med students and interns. These figures, like Whitaker, Santos, and Javadi, are there to assist, learn, and gain experience. Yet, during high-stress moments, some of these characters found themselves carrying out treatments that should have been done by a more experienced colleague.

Santos is definitely one character who tends to do things without supervision, but another strong example is when Mohan treated her poisoned influencer patient without Robby’s approval. Though Mohan was right, she went over her superior’s head in a way that isn’t tolerated in medicine. The Pitt mostly shows this type of rule-breaking in a positive light, but in real life, this scenario can go very wrong and may lead to physical damage or lawsuits.

6

Robby Letting Jake See Leah

Robby’s Misstep Backfired

Among The Pitt’s various staff members, one of the most rebellious is Robby. One troubling rule he breaks during the PittFest episodes is allowing his Jake to see Leah’s body in the morgue. Due to the nature of Leah’s death, no one would be allowed to see their deceased loved ones until a proper investigation had been completed. Of course, Robby’s personal connection to Jake made him bypass this rule so that Jake could see his girlfriend one last time.

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Unfortunately, this is one of the rule breaks that did not work out so well for Robby. Despite acquiescing to Jake, Robby ends up getting yelled at for not doing enough to save Leah’s life. Overcome with emotion, Jake blames Robby. This sends the doctor into a spiral of anxiety which is his ultimate breaking point in the show. Moments like these prove that even with the best intentions, breaking rules can result in bad outcomes.

Robby’s Personal Issues Got In The Way Of His Medicine

Within the same vein, Robby also erred by using extra resources on Leah, despite knowing that she probably wouldn’t make it. Initially, Leah comes in with a gunshot wound but is still conscious and talking. Her condition then takes a nose dive, and Robby must try to stabilize her so she can go up to the operating room. After several blood transfusions, Leah gets no better, and it is clear that she is beyond saving. Rather than giving up, Robby goes a little too far than necessary to try and save her.

Truthfully, this is one of the less strict rules of medicine, but is an important situation nonetheless. It is definitely important for doctors to take every measure they can to save a patient, but it is also important to know when the situation is too far gone. This is especially vital during PittFest, when other patients need the resources being used on Leah. In this moment, Robby is letting his personal feelings outweigh his medical knowledge, and it doesn’t work out in his favor.

4

Robby & Collins Changing Pregnancy Ultrasound Results

The Pitt Shows The Complexity Of Similar Situations

One of the more controversial choices that is made in The Pitt is Robby deciding to tweak the results of a pregnancy ultrasound to allow a teenager to get an abortion. In the episode, Collins is treating a young woman who wants to have an abortion, yet she hesitates to follow through because, according to the ultrasound, the fetus may be too far along based on state abortion laws. Collins and Robby agree that the teen shouldn’t be forced to have the baby because she is a few days further along. Thus, Robby agrees to change the results.

The Pitt tackles countless important social issues within a medical context, but this rule break may be one of the most compelling. It is clear that the teenager is deeply afraid of having a child and isn’t ready yet to do so. Collins feels it is wrong to force her to have the child, especially when the difference is so minor. Through this situation, The Pitt sheds light on the complexities of these situations, showing how seemingly small details have massive effects.

3

Santos Threatening An Abusive Patient

Santos’ Perspective Of Right & Wrong

Another blatant rule break that occurs in The Pitt season 1 is Santos threatening a patient. In one episode, a man comes in in critical condition, and it is soon revealed that his wife was poisoning him because he was abusing their daughter. Unable to get a confession from the daughter, but dedicated to stopping the behavior, Santos enters the man’s room and threatens to sabotage his care if he doesn’t stop his abuse. This warning seems to affect the man deeply.

One bright spot of this scenario is that Santos may have been bluffing just to scare the man, and had no intention of hurting him.

Of course, doctors should never threaten their patients, but Santos’ point of view is understandable. Despite the mother’s testimony, there is very little the hospital can do in regard to stopping the abuse. Thus, Santos takes the situation into her own hands. One bright spot of this scenario is that Santos may have been bluffing just to scare the man, and had no intention of hurting him. Additionally, this scene shows just how invested Santos is in justice and morals.

2

Langdon Stealing Patients’ Medication

Langdon’s Crime Could Have Massive Consequences

By far, one of the worst errors that takes place at The Pitt is Langdon stealing his patients’ medication. Langdon claims that he is weaning himself off pain meds due to a back injury, but the numbers don’t lie, and it is clear that he has been pilfering pills from the hospital. This is a major crime, but Robby actually takes some pity on him. Rather than firing Langdon, he demands that he leave work and attend an extensive rehab program for his addiction issues.

Dr. Santos looking angry next to Dr. Langdon looking worried from The Pitt with Philadelphia in the background

Everyone Hates The Pitt’s Dr. Santos For Outing Langdon, But She Was Absolutely Right

Everyone hates The Pitt’s Dr. Santos for outing Langdon after learning how he was secretly self-medicating, but she was absolutely in the right.

Langdon’s theft is probably the most shocking and obviously wrong situation to occur in The Pitt. It also comes as a particular surprise because Langdon is characterized as being so charming and skilled as a doctor. The Pitt shows that Langdon’s actions will have big consequences that are suitable for the sizable crime he committed. Hopefully, The Pitt season 2 will offer a solid update to Langdon’s story.

1

Robby Taking Someone Into The Morgue

Robby’s Most Shocking Rule Break

Finally, one of the most uncomfortable and surprising rule breaks to happen in The Pitt season 1 is Robby bringing the father of a sick child into the makeshift morgue. After being diagnosed with measles, the child’s parents are doubtful about allowing the doctors to complete a spinal tap, which would allow them to expedite his care. At the end of his rope, Robby brings the father into the morgue to make him see that his son could die just like the corpses in the room.

While this may not be against the law, this is probably the worst action Robby takes in The Pitt. Audiences can understand where he is coming from, as the boy’s condition is severe, but bringing a regular citizen into a morgue to prove a point is concerning. The only positive is that it seems to have an effect on the father, who follows through with the spinal tap. Ultimately, this scene shows that Robby can become a bit too reckless on The Pitt.