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From hidden disorders to systemic failures, “The Pitt” doesn’t shy away from the toughest realities facing patients and healthcare workers alike. Join us as we explore the most impactful moments where the series took on real-world struggles, including sexual violence, the cost of care, trafficking fears, addiction, and the emotional toll of trauma care. Which storyline hit you the hardest? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00I can't afford the test strips every week. They're too expensive.
00:03Can we not talk about this in front of my family?
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most dramatic real-world
00:11problems the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center has ever faced. Please be advised,
00:17some of these entries may be triggering.
00:19You're done. Leave now or I will have a ma to escort you out.
00:26Number 10. Eating Disorders.
00:28Can't you just write me a prescription for some medicine? I'm sure it's just a summer cold.
00:34You got somewhere to be?
00:35Work.
00:36When a woman enters the ER with a bad cough, she ends up leaving with a diagnosis for bulimia
00:41and a hope for a better future.
00:44The enamel on the back of your teeth is worn away.
00:48What does that mean?
00:50It can happen if someone makes themselves vomit repeatedly.
00:53All the stomach acid dissolves the enamel.
00:56What does that have to do with having pneumonia?
00:59It may have caused it.
01:01The Pitt understands that eating disorders can be invisible both physically and mentally.
01:06In fact, if it weren't for Mel picking up on the subtle cues,
01:10this woman may never have confronted her issues.
01:13You're doing long-term damage to your body.
01:18And it doesn't just go away on its own.
01:20And it's okay to ask for help.
01:24By initially presenting this case as an ordinary cough,
01:28the Pitt smartly acknowledged that this kind of thing is rarely obvious at first glance.
01:32It takes someone with a good heart, like Mel, to put the pieces together.
01:37Bulimia is treatable.
01:41I was going to stop.
01:43I stopped before.
01:45Number nine, the deaf experience.
01:47Across the second season,
01:49Harlow spends at least a whopping eight hours in the emergency room.
01:53And what was her issue?
01:55Headaches and nausea from a tight neck muscle.
01:58That's all.
01:59This is Harlow Graham.
02:00She was seen in triage.
02:02CBC and CMP came back normal.
02:04IT was supposed to bring the VRI down, but they're slammed.
02:06I know a bit of sign language.
02:08Harlow, this is Dr. Santos.
02:13Despite it being a relatively tame case,
02:16we have to see Harlow jump through hoop after hoop just to be seen and understood.
02:21Since ALS translators are in short supply and technology is far from flawless,
02:27it takes Harlow over half the season just to communicate with a doctor at all.
02:32I'm not 100% sure.
02:33Okay, um, we're just going to need to wait for an interpreter
02:36because I need to ask a million questions and I can't do it this way.
02:39So just call me when IT comes down.
02:40It underscores the fact that for individuals with different needs,
02:44the medical space still has a long way to go.
02:47And I marked the trigger point that is bringing out your headache
02:50and a shot of local anesthetic in that area could really help.
02:55Yeah, let's do it.
02:56Great.
02:57Number eight, caretaker fatigue.
03:00It's my mother.
03:01She fell.
03:02What happened?
03:03I fell in the yard for my arm.
03:06The pit makes it very clear that caring for others is a tough gig,
03:10emotionally, mentally, and physically.
03:12But that's doubly true for at-home caretakers.
03:15Take Mel's case in season one,
03:17where a woman named Rita is clearly struggling being her mother's primary caregiver.
03:22Are you the primary caregiver?
03:23I'm her only caregiver.
03:25Ma'am, what medications are you on?
03:27She's so tired, she actually ends up passing out in her car,
03:31leading Mel to think she may have abandoned her mom.
03:34I'm just really glad you're back.
03:35While that's thankfully not the case,
03:37the very fact it was a possibility highlights the intense pressure of being a caregiver,
03:42especially for family.
03:44As the pitch shows, though, there's always support if you look for it.
03:48You know, caretaker's fatigue is a real thing.
03:51You have to take care of yourself.
03:53Otherwise, you're going to end up in here, too.
03:56Number seven, the effects of prison care.
03:59Injuries from a prison fight aren't Gus's only issues when he arrives at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.
04:05As Dr. Al Hashimi soon learns,
04:07the inmate isn't receiving nearly enough fruits or vegetables to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
04:12Albumin's low, total protein's low.
04:14He also has megaloblastic anemia.
04:16Malnutrition.
04:17Probably jail cuisine.
04:18Whitaker, what labs should we add?
04:20B12, folate, iron levels.
04:22Good.
04:23Despite the assurances of the prison's health care team,
04:25she insists he stay at the hospital for proper treatment.
04:28However, she gets pushback from Robbie,
04:31who makes a good point that they simply don't have the resources to spare on recovering patients.
04:36But as Al Hashimi succinctly puts it,
04:39Everything I've done in my career is an effort to improve the system.
04:43Just because you know it's broken, doesn't mean you stop trying.
04:46Number 6, ICE Deportations.
04:49Dr. Santos.
04:51Chantal.
04:51How do you do?
04:52We've been caring for your brother.
04:53Are you Jude's legal guardian?
04:55Yeah.
04:56Our parents aren't around.
04:58In a storyline that feels ripped from the headlines,
05:01Santos and Robbie's fear of parental neglect ends up being much worse.
05:05This kid's parents aren't around because they were deported.
05:08As a result, his college-aged sister is the only one to look out for him,
05:12and it's clearly too much.
05:14The pick colors this issue through Robbie and Santos' differing perspectives.
05:19Robbie thinks they'd be better off going back to their parents,
05:22while Santos believes they should stay since America is where they grew up.
05:26I gotta take my brother away from you.
05:27It's an evaluation to determine if the injury and the drinking is caused for some kind of intervention.
05:31Whoa, I won't let you separate us.
05:33We are required to...
05:34No!
05:34It's a complicated situation, but that's to be expected when you treat the whole and not just the part.
05:40You know, patients come in here for help, right?
05:42Because they're either sick or they're injured, and documented or undocumented,
05:46they have a right to emergency care.
05:48TB, measles, fractures, none of it's getting treated because everybody's too scared to come in.
05:52But then they end up here anyway, but then it's too f***ing late.
05:54So please, for the love of God, can you just go wait over there in the room with your detainees
05:57so I don't lose any more patients or staff?
06:00Number 5. Substance Use Disorder
06:02Much like eating disorders, those who have unhealthy boundaries with illegal substances
06:07don't always show it on the outside. Take Frank Langdon.
06:11I was hoping to surprise Abby and the kids grilled some salmon for dinner.
06:14Mmm, such an adrenaline junkie.
06:18What'd you call me?
06:19Your eye sponges. Marathon man.
06:22Surprise, here's a dog. Surprise, here's some salmon.
06:27Pissed in your corn place.
06:28For the better part of season 1, he's the golden boy resident who,
06:32despite a few snafus with Santos, seems like an incredibly competent physician.
06:37That's why it hurts so much when we learn he's skimming his patients' prescriptions
06:41to self-treat his substance use disorder.
06:44There's been some inconsistencies with meds intended for your patients.
06:48What?
06:52Frank, have you been helping yourself to benzos from the ER?
06:56Yeah, I've been stealing blood too.
06:58Not only is it a gross betrayal of patient trust,
07:01but it's from a character who, for all intents and purposes, seemed pretty normal.
07:05The message is loud and clear.
07:07If Langdon is capable of doing this, who else might be suffering in silence?
07:12Go home, Frank.
07:13No, no, it's not like you think.
07:15You remember, whenever I helped my parents move,
07:17I was too cheap to pay for movers.
07:19I hurt my back.
07:20I told you that.
07:21You teased me about it.
07:22Remember?
07:22Well, our own Dr. Hagan prescribed me some pain meds and muscle relaxes.
07:27I was just weaning myself off.
07:28It was just for maintenance.
07:28I'm done.
07:29Robbie, come on.
07:30You know me.
07:31Number four, violence against healthcare workers.
07:35Sir, you're not allowed back there.
07:37Unless what?
07:38I start a fight?
07:40Become homeless?
07:41Apparently that's what it takes.
07:42I understand your frustration.
07:43I promise you'll be seen as soon as the provider is available.
07:46It's a sad reality that, when tensions run high,
07:49even those trying to help end up in the crossfire.
07:52People like Dana Evans, PTMC's no-nonsense charge nurse,
07:56was only guilty of defending her staff from a verbal tirade.
08:00And she ended up with a black eye for it.
08:02Hard at work?
08:06I'll take my chances.
08:08It's a truly jaw-dropping cliffhanger.
08:10But as the pit eloquently explains,
08:13violence against healthcare workers is an all-too-common issue,
08:16particularly when staffing is short and lines are long.
08:20And yet, even with a shiner, Dana bucks up and returns to work,
08:23proving exactly why healthcare workers deserve everything.
08:27You've been paroled.
08:31Are you sure?
08:32Yep.
08:32Oh, okay.
08:34Okay.
08:35Yep.
08:36Go check on Marner.
08:38Number three, human trafficking.
08:40McKay strikes us as the kind of person who's seen just about everything.
08:44So when she pulls Dana aside and wonders if her patient is being trafficked,
08:48you best believe we all sat up and listened.
08:51Piper, are you okay with your boss being here while we talk?
08:54Yeah, I'm good.
08:56Are you sure?
08:56I'm gonna be asking you some pretty personal questions.
08:59She doesn't mind.
09:00We have no secrets.
09:01The storyline plays out like a thriller film,
09:04with Dana and McKay desperately trying to convince the innocent Piper of the danger she's in.
09:09Piper, do you want some privacy?
09:13No, it's cool.
09:14She can stay.
09:17Okay.
09:18To us, the fact that she moved to a new city where she knows no one besides her controlling boss
09:23is evidence enough.
09:25But in a sad yet realistic turn of events, Piper doesn't agree.
09:29She checks out like normal, leaving McKay and Dana with nothing but a hope they were wrong.
09:34I guess that's it then.
09:37Well, if you change your mind, come to the free pen.
09:42Thank you both so much for your help.
09:44Yeah.
09:45Thanks.
09:48Okay.
09:50Good luck to you both.
09:51Number two, the crippling cost of healthcare.
09:54My amor, I'm sorry you have to be here alone.
09:58I missed my first post-transfering.
10:01Anyway.
10:02While completely necessary, ER visits aren't without their own drawbacks.
10:07As one of Dr. Mohan's patients points out,
10:09just staying there for an afternoon will create crippling debt to him and his family.
10:13Keep in mind, this is after the hospital gave him a 40% discount too.
10:18We don't have health insurance, so I don't think that we can avoid this.
10:25I'll have our case manager, Noel Hastings, come by.
10:29She's an expert in health insurance.
10:31She might have some options for you for coverage.
10:34Okay.
10:36Dr. Mohan is understandably adamant that the man stay for treatment.
10:40But when she isn't looking, he takes off anyway.
10:43To him, being healthy isn't worth the crushing economic burden.
10:46Even though it sounds absolutely insane,
10:49it's a choice many Americans have to make every single day.
10:52Okay.
10:53So what's that going to cost?
10:55I can't give you an exact amount, but roughly $35,000.
10:59So after about 40%, I'll still have to pay, what, like $20,000?
11:04The hospital can work out a payment plan.
11:06Orlando, we'll be okay.
11:08We'll figure it out.
11:09The pit knows that, for some, health isn't a right.
11:12It's a luxury.
11:13My patient, he didn't have any insurance.
11:16And he was already in a mountain of medical debt.
11:20He couldn't afford any of his meds.
11:23Hmm.
11:24What's in the bag?
11:26Insulin, test strips, electrolyte powder.
11:31I got him everything he needed for home care.
11:40Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's Adia, Songs from Iran, reimagining
11:46Persian melodies as modern rock, metal, and pop songs.
11:49Check out the full track and album below.
11:51Where are you, my love zone here?
11:54Say the word and I'll appear.
11:56I wrote this song just for you to tell you what I always knew.
12:06Number one, sexual violence.
12:09In what might be the most raw plot line in the pit so far, Dana and new nurse Emma are
12:15tasked
12:15with collecting samples from a recent survivor of sexual violence.
12:19You're in a safe place now.
12:20I'm the charged nurse in the AD and a sexual assault nurse examiner.
12:24This is Emma.
12:25I'll be assisting.
12:26And I'm Dr. Al-Hashimi.
12:28I'll be checking you for any injuries that need immediate attention.
12:31From the moment we meet Alana, it's clear the pit is handling this story with care.
12:35We get scene after scene of Dana retrieving invasive evidence until, eventually, Alana needs
12:41a break and questions whether she wants to report at all.
12:45I'm sorry.
12:46I can't.
12:47Okay.
12:47It's okay.
12:48We can take a break.
12:49No problem.
12:49I don't want to break.
12:50I want to stop.
12:52Is this about reporting?
12:54Because you can do this collection without a police report for now.
12:58And none of it goes in your permanent medical record.
13:00I don't want to do this anymore.
13:02Seeing each step in such detail, as well as its effect on Alana, underscores how traumatic
13:07the act of coming forward really is, to say nothing of the impact on Dana and Emma.
13:13Alana, this is a difficult process to say the least.
13:18Why don't you take a breather and come back and whatever you want to do, we'll do.
13:23If you know anyone in the healthcare industry, what do they think of the pit?
13:27Is it as realistic as it seems?
13:29Let us know in the comments.
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