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CPR scene safety dilemma, do not become the second victim

April 5, 2026Oren Gottfried, MD

Oren Gottfried frames a scenario where CPR could injure or kill the rescuer, weighing the rule to avoid becoming a second victim against the risk that waiting for EMS means the patient dies.

If CPR could get you injured or killed, do you still start?
One brutal CPR rule is don’t become the second victim.
But if waiting for EMS means the patient dies, is doing CPR in a scene like this heroic or reckless?
Oren Gottfried, MD
emergency careethicsscene safety

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