The creators ofHBO's "The Pitt"take pride in the ER drama's often bloody realism, crediting fervent medical professional fans for pushing the not-for-the-squeamish show to new heights.The Season 2 Jan. 8premiere featured a heart-revealing, chest-spreading procedure that was so authentic it grossed out theactress playing Dr. Al-Hashimi.
However, there's one very common medical procedure that even "The Pitt" professionals and one obsessed executive producer still can't recreate perfectly.
It'sCPR, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the life-saving procedure commonly taught in first-aid courses that requires chest compressions when someone's heart has stopped.
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"The one thing that we have to fake because it doesn't come off as realistic is CPR," executive producer R. Scott Gemmill tells USA TODAY. "We've tried a million ways to do it. You just can't."
The problem, of course, is the chest compressions. "If you're doing CPR properly, you're breaking ribs. And we can't do that to our actors," says Gemmill, who spent "half of last year" trying to develop a structurally sound prosthetic device that would allow a live actor to receive CPR from another actor. That quest stalled with "mixed results."
Sometimes, show producers will use a full prosthetic piece on a character that's slightly unsatisfying since it's "noticeable," says Gemmill. For now, if he wants the patient to be played by a live actor, the medical pros giving the CPR have to "fake it," he says.
"We've got some hacks for CPR," says actor Patrick Ball, who plays Dr. Frank Langdon. "It's all in the shoulders."
Sepideh Moafi steps into "The Pitt" Season 2 as the new attending physician, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi. Who else is new for Season 2 of HBO Max's Emmy-winning drama? And why are they at the Pittsburgh ER? Find out on January 8. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Who's new on 'The Pitt' Season 2? Meet Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi and more
Sepideh Moafi steps into "The Pitt" Season 2 as the new attending physician, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi. Who else is new for Season 2 of HBO Max's Emmy-winning drama? And why are they at the Pittsburgh ER? Find out on January 8.
The actors have to sell CPR with the moving shoulders, but bend the elbows so as not to push into the patient actor's ribs. Or there's "pushing your knees into the (hospital) bed" to relieve the pressure, says Gemmill.
Gemmill says his team will continue to look for that ultimate structurally sound prosthetic to make CPR look perfect with an actor in future seasons. "The Pitt" has already been renewed for Season 3.
"It will probably be made out of fiberglass or some sort of composite material," says Gemmill. "We need something with just a little give that could fit over a chest without being noticeable."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'The Pitt' takes pride in medical accuracy, but must 'fake' simple CPR