Originally Posted by
pon18n
This is out of sheer curiosity, I wouldn't have judged you either way you answer to this.
But, let's say you're in a plane where you're the only person with anything remotely close to a doctor, would you have attempted to do those things to a stranger? (Assuming, of course, if you don't then that person could be in real danger)
It's a good question, and the ultimate answer is yes, I would probably do everything I could to save a life and deal with the consequences afterwards.
If I had time to think, it is dreadful to say, but I would consider the legal jurisdiction I am in - in some countries, the law compels you to render assistance (civil law, duty of rescue) and protect those rendering assistance. In others (under common law) a practical approach is taken to what would a 'reasonable' person do in the circumstance - in the UK for example, I don't believe anyone (non medical) has been successfully sued for rendering first aid (successfully or otherwise) to someone in a life or death situation because the courts take this 'reasonableness' into account, determining, normally, that trying something is better than doing nothing. If I was in the US... well bets are off!