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Deception (House)
Encyclopedia
"Deception" is the ninth episode of the second season of House
, which premiered on the Fox
network on December 13, 2005. After House is replaced temporarily by Foreman as department head, problems arise as House tries to make life miserable for him.
is temporarily the head of the diagnostics department which irritates House
. He complains to Cuddy, but she reinforces Foreman's power. She tells Foreman that if someone makes a mistake, it's his problem, and that he won't be able to blame it on House. The team tries to diagnose an anemic
woman named Anica (Cynthia Nixon
) after she has a seizure. She has a bruise on her stomach and is admitted to the hospital with alcohol in her system. House thinks that she has Cushing's syndrome
. Cameron thinks that Anica is injecting herself with Adrenocorticotropic hormone
, which causes Cushing's, because she has Münchausen syndrome
. Cameron finds two notes at Anica's apartment for doctors' appointments. Cameron claims that multiple appointments with multiple doctors is a sure sign of Münchausen's. House still doesn't believe Cameron. In order to prove herself right she puts antibiotics on a desk in front of Anica with a warning label that says dangerous. Foreman then gets a call that Anica's urine
has turned orange, which confirms the Munchausen's diagnosis because it means Anica took the antibiotic
Cameron had baited her with, despite the warnings.
The team is convinced that she has Münchausen's and wants to discharge her. House suggests Münchausen's and aplastic anemia
, but Foreman won't allow him to do any more tests. Before Anica leaves the hospital, he tells her that she has aplastic anemia. House tells her that he needs to inject her with a drug, Colchicine
, that will make her seem sick in order to confirm his diagnosis. House injects her with her consent and then walks back inside. Anica collapses and begins convulsing
. She is sent back to the hospital the next day and begins irradiation treatment.
Meanwhile House sits in Anica's room and notices a strange odor. After sniffing Anica's pillow and bra, he realizes that she has an infection
and stops the treatment. There was no fever
because the Cushing's suppressed her immune system
. Cameron's dosing her with antibodics to prove her theory also suppressed symptoms that would've shown it earlier. House stops the irradiation, leads the team into the nuclear room and nicks Anica's torso, which gives the blade a fruity smell. The bruises that Cushing's gave her made a home for bacteria (Clostridium perfringens
). She's treated for her infection and accepts out-patient treatment for her Münchausen's because her talk with House helped her come to terms with it, but it looks like she may have relapsed later. Foreman decides to take the job as head of the department, but House's actions convince Cuddy that keeping House in the job is the best thing to do, angering Foreman.
The episode ends with dual scenes of Anica getting admitted to another hospital due to a low white cell count
- the side-effect of Colchicine - while House was simultaneously placing bets on races at OTB. The implication was that House was now supplying her with Colchicine, to accommodate her need for doctor attention, in exchange for horse-racing tips.
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, which premiered on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on December 13, 2005. After House is replaced temporarily by Foreman as department head, problems arise as House tries to make life miserable for him.
Plot
Eric ForemanEric Foreman
Eric Foreman, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Omar Epps.-Background:A neurologist, Foreman was a member of Dr. Gregory House's handpicked team of specialists at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Diagnostic Medicine Department...
is temporarily the head of the diagnostics department which irritates House
Gregory House
Gregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
. He complains to Cuddy, but she reinforces Foreman's power. She tells Foreman that if someone makes a mistake, it's his problem, and that he won't be able to blame it on House. The team tries to diagnose an anemic
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
woman named Anica (Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
) after she has a seizure. She has a bruise on her stomach and is admitted to the hospital with alcohol in her system. House thinks that she has Cushing's syndrome
Cushing's syndrome
Cushing's syndrome is a hormone disorder caused by high levels of cortisol in the blood. This can be caused by taking glucocorticoid drugs, or by tumors that produce cortisol or adrenocorticotropic hormone or CRH...
. Cameron thinks that Anica is injecting herself with Adrenocorticotropic hormone
Adrenocorticotropic hormone
Adrenocorticotropic hormone , also known as 'corticotropin', 'Adrenocorticotrophic hormone', is a polypeptide tropic hormone produced and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. It is an important component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and is often produced in response to biological...
, which causes Cushing's, because she has Münchausen syndrome
Munchausen syndrome
Münchausen syndrome is a psychiatric factitious disorder wherein those affected feign disease, illness, or psychological trauma to draw attention or sympathy to themselves. It is also sometimes known as hospital addiction syndrome or hospital hopper syndrome...
. Cameron finds two notes at Anica's apartment for doctors' appointments. Cameron claims that multiple appointments with multiple doctors is a sure sign of Münchausen's. House still doesn't believe Cameron. In order to prove herself right she puts antibiotics on a desk in front of Anica with a warning label that says dangerous. Foreman then gets a call that Anica's urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
has turned orange, which confirms the Munchausen's diagnosis because it means Anica took the antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
Cameron had baited her with, despite the warnings.
The team is convinced that she has Münchausen's and wants to discharge her. House suggests Münchausen's and aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia is a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells. The condition, per its name, involves both aplasia and anemia...
, but Foreman won't allow him to do any more tests. Before Anica leaves the hospital, he tells her that she has aplastic anemia. House tells her that he needs to inject her with a drug, Colchicine
Colchicine
Colchicine is a medication used for gout. It is a toxic natural product and secondary metabolite, originally extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum...
, that will make her seem sick in order to confirm his diagnosis. House injects her with her consent and then walks back inside. Anica collapses and begins convulsing
Convulsion
A convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body. Because a convulsion is often a symptom of an epileptic seizure, the term convulsion is sometimes used as a synonym for seizure...
. She is sent back to the hospital the next day and begins irradiation treatment.
Meanwhile House sits in Anica's room and notices a strange odor. After sniffing Anica's pillow and bra, he realizes that she has an infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
and stops the treatment. There was no fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
because the Cushing's suppressed her immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
. Cameron's dosing her with antibodics to prove her theory also suppressed symptoms that would've shown it earlier. House stops the irradiation, leads the team into the nuclear room and nicks Anica's torso, which gives the blade a fruity smell. The bruises that Cushing's gave her made a home for bacteria (Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium of the genus Clostridium. C. perfringens is ever present in nature and can be found as a normal component of decaying vegetation, marine sediment, the intestinal tract of humans and other vertebrates,...
). She's treated for her infection and accepts out-patient treatment for her Münchausen's because her talk with House helped her come to terms with it, but it looks like she may have relapsed later. Foreman decides to take the job as head of the department, but House's actions convince Cuddy that keeping House in the job is the best thing to do, angering Foreman.
The episode ends with dual scenes of Anica getting admitted to another hospital due to a low white cell count
Neutropenia
Neutropenia, from Latin prefix neutro- and Greek suffix -πενία , is a granulocyte disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of neutrophils, the most important type of white blood cell...
- the side-effect of Colchicine - while House was simultaneously placing bets on races at OTB. The implication was that House was now supplying her with Colchicine, to accommodate her need for doctor attention, in exchange for horse-racing tips.
External links
- "Deception" at Fox.com