DR. MCKAY, PLAYED BY FIONA DOURIF, IN ‘THE PITT.’ | PHOTO BY WARRICK PAGE/MAX

The Pittsburgh-based medical drama “The Pitt” returned Thursday night for its third episode. Get caught up on the first two episodes before you dive into our latest recap.

Warning: While the following does not include all details of the show, it does include potential spoilers.

Episode 3: 9-10 a.m.

Dr. Robby says that roughly 150,000 people die per day globally. One of those people was at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.

Student doctor Dennis Whitaker desperately tries to keep his patient alive with CPR and epinephrine to the disbelief of his colleagues. The patient was “fine” in episode 2.

The forceful CPR breaks the patient’s rib. Dr. Whitaker is drenched in sweat. And still, he doesn’t want to give up.

When he stops compressions, the patient flatlines. This is Dr. Whitaker’s first patient death.

“Even though you do everything right you don’t always get what you hope for,” Dr. Robby says to reassure him.

Dr. Whitaker tiptoes through the rest of the episode and avoids any cases that can result in a patient’s death. His patient is gone, but guilt is still with him.

Meanwhile, a new patient enters the ER with a nail in his heart. Intern Victoria Javadi, the 20-year-old medical student, is called in to insert a tube into the patient’s throat. That’s enough intensive care for her — she’s quick to make an excuse to return to triage to avoid another fainting spell like we saw in episode 1.

A recurring storyline is Nick, the 18-year-old college student who tested positive for fentanyl. His parents are desperate to run more tests in the hopes that something can revive him. Dr. Robby had told them that their son is braindead.

When another patient, Jenna, is brought in unresponsive, Dr. McKay finds out she had taken Xanax, most likely laced with fentanyl. Jenna’s friend recognizes Nick’s father. After an altercation, Nick’s father accuses Jenna of serving his son drugs.

Watch the episode to find out who is responsible.

Episode 3 also serves as a public service announcement to stop vaping. When one patient suffers heart palpitations after vaping a few pods — one vape pod is equal to one pack of cigarettes, Dr. Robby says — doctors have to shock his heart back to normal rhythm.

Nurse Lead Dana Evans can take the advice herself. She takes a cigarette break at the ambulance docking station — just as an ambulance is stolen.

Oh, and the rats from episode 2 are still running loose throughout the ER.