Epic Fail (House)
Encyclopedia
"Epic Fail" is the third episode of the sixth season of House
. It first aired on September 28, 2009.
walks into Cuddy
's office and quits. Foreman
wants to run the diagnostic department and Cuddy allows him a chance to do it. Foreman settles in House's office. Foreman discusses Vince's case with Taub
and Thirteen.
Foreman plans to treat him for complex regional pain syndrome with a spinal stimulation. But Vince looked up his symptoms on the internet, thinks he has mercury poisoning
. Ignoring Foreman's orders, Thirteen and Taub perform the test for mercury and not the spinal stimulation. Despite Foreman saying his mercury test was negative, Vince demands treatment for the mercury but Foreman challenges him. As Taub and Thirteen administer the spinal stimulation, Vince's lungs filling with fluid. Vince has a thickened left ventricle in his heart causing pulmonary edema
. Taub suspects cocaine
use. Foreman admits to Thirteen that he has been comparing himself to House. Taub and Thirteen go search Vince's office.
As Taub and Thirteen play SavageScape at the developer's office, she complains that Foreman told her that he made a dinner reservation rather than asking her. Thirteen realizes that Vince, in researching the birds in the video game, may have caught an avian-related disease. Later, Thirteen discovers that Vince has had a three-hour erection
. The doctors implant a stent for the priapism. Thirteen suggests a brain tumor but Foreman overrules her with a diagnosis of Thrombocytosis
. Taub agrees with Foreman. Thirteen and Foreman are arguing about the new dynamic in their relationship when they see unknown doctors in the patient's room.
Cuddy visits House at Wilson's apartment. He is cooking with a Chinese classmate and they talk about Cuddy in Chinese. Cuddy wants to know if she is the reason that House left the hospital. He says no. House has therapy with Dr. Nolan, who tells him to take up a hobby. He joins Wilson
in a cooking
class, and is revealed as a genius in that area too, by applying techniques that he supposedly does not know to be of molecular gastronomy
, a quite modern field even to gourmets. House later decides to give up cooking because his leg pain returns. He confides to Dr. Nolan that he's afraid of turning back to Vicodin. Later, House goes back to his apartment and finds a bottle of Vicodin that he stashed away awhile back. Wilson finds House feeling much better, which worries him. Wilson shares his concerns with Cuddy. He had House's urine tested and it came back clean because it was from a dog. Wilson and Cuddy confront House. To prove he is clean, he urinates in their presence.
Vince posted his symptoms on the internet. Some doctors come in to diagnose him. Before Foreman kicks them out, one doctor suggests a brain tumor. Thirteen tries to be diplomatic by saying that the diagnosis of both Foreman and the other doctor have merits. Foreman is angry that Thirteen did not completely back him up. Vince's MRI comes out clean, so Foreman orders Thirteen to treat for Thrombocytosis. Thirteen complains to House. He tells her to give in to Foreman to save their relationship. Foreman apologizes to Thirteen and they make up. However, Vince's lymph nodes swell up. Foreman was wrong about Thrombocytosis, and Vince offers a $25,000 reward for an answer online. The team is swamped by suggestions sent in from the public. Vince wants to be tested for amyloidosis
. Foreman makes a deal with him: Foreman will test for amyloidosis, but if the test result is negative then Vince must cease requesting help on the internet.
Meanwhile, Taub quits as he received a recommendation from a friend to start a surgical practice. Foreman doesn't understand this move as he's holding up the diagnostics department so Taub and Thirteen can keep their jobs. Taub explains he came here to work because of House, not the department. Foreman is discouraged and turns to Thirteen for support.
The test results show deposits in the renal endothelium
consistent with amyloidosis. Vince hallucinates that he is in the world of the video game. He also spikes a fever. Thirteen and Foreman discuss the diagnosis while Vince is in a cold tub. Thirteen wants to turn to the internet theories but Foreman thinks Vince has light-chain deposition disease (LCDD), which can be treated with chemotherapy
. Foreman has taken a shower and notices his pruned fingers in the locker room. He rushes to stop the chemo.
Vince's fingers did not prune up after being in the bathtub for an hour. This is a symptom of Fabry disease. Thirteen also came to this conclusion based on iodine
mumps
, which came from an internet suggestion. Thirteen comes to see Foreman in House's office. He is angry, but he needs her love and does not want their jobs to come between them. Because of this conflict, Foreman fires Thirteen.
House shows up at Dr. Nolan's office with a check for $25,000—he was the one who had solved Vince's case online. House tells Nolan that when he began diagnosing cases, the pain in his leg stopped. Nolan thinks it is best for House to return to diagnostic medicine in order to save him from his own addiction.
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...
. It first aired on September 28, 2009.
Plot
Players in a video game known as SavageScape battle ferocious creatures. After the game ends, the testers find their boss, Vince Pearson, claiming that his hands are "on fire." HouseGregory 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...
walks into Cuddy
Lisa Cuddy
Dr. Lisa Cuddy, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. She is portrayed by Lisa Edelstein. Cuddy was the Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator of the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. She also becomes House's love interest through the...
's office and quits. Foreman
Eric 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...
wants to run the diagnostic department and Cuddy allows him a chance to do it. Foreman settles in House's office. Foreman discusses Vince's case with Taub
Chris Taub
Christopher Michael "Chris" Taub, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Peter Jacobson. He becomes a member of House's new diagnostic team in the Season 4 episode titled "Games".-Professional life:...
and Thirteen.
Foreman plans to treat him for complex regional pain syndrome with a spinal stimulation. But Vince looked up his symptoms on the internet, thinks he has mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning is a disease caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. Mercury is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses...
. Ignoring Foreman's orders, Thirteen and Taub perform the test for mercury and not the spinal stimulation. Despite Foreman saying his mercury test was negative, Vince demands treatment for the mercury but Foreman challenges him. As Taub and Thirteen administer the spinal stimulation, Vince's lungs filling with fluid. Vince has a thickened left ventricle in his heart causing pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema , or oedema , is fluid accumulation in the air spaces and parenchyma of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause respiratory failure...
. Taub suspects cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
use. Foreman admits to Thirteen that he has been comparing himself to House. Taub and Thirteen go search Vince's office.
As Taub and Thirteen play SavageScape at the developer's office, she complains that Foreman told her that he made a dinner reservation rather than asking her. Thirteen realizes that Vince, in researching the birds in the video game, may have caught an avian-related disease. Later, Thirteen discovers that Vince has had a three-hour erection
Priapism
Priapism is a potentially harmful and painful medical condition in which the erect penis or clitoris does not return to its flaccid state, despite the absence of both physical and psychological stimulation, within four hours. There are two types of priapism: low-flow and high-flow. Low-flow...
. The doctors implant a stent for the priapism. Thirteen suggests a brain tumor but Foreman overrules her with a diagnosis of Thrombocytosis
Thrombocytosis
Thrombocytosis is the presence of high platelet counts in the blood, and can be either primary or reactive...
. Taub agrees with Foreman. Thirteen and Foreman are arguing about the new dynamic in their relationship when they see unknown doctors in the patient's room.
Cuddy visits House at Wilson's apartment. He is cooking with a Chinese classmate and they talk about Cuddy in Chinese. Cuddy wants to know if she is the reason that House left the hospital. He says no. House has therapy with Dr. Nolan, who tells him to take up a hobby. He joins Wilson
James Wilson (House)
James Evan Wilson, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is played by Robert Sean Leonard. The character first appears in the show's pilot episode when he introduces a medical case to Dr. Gregory House, the protagonist of the show. Wilson is Dr. House's only true friend,...
in a cooking
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
class, and is revealed as a genius in that area too, by applying techniques that he supposedly does not know to be of molecular gastronomy
Molecular gastronomy
Molecular gastronomy is a subdiscipline of food science that seeks to investigate, explain and make practical use of the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur while cooking, as well as the social, artistic and technical components of culinary and gastronomic phenomena in...
, a quite modern field even to gourmets. House later decides to give up cooking because his leg pain returns. He confides to Dr. Nolan that he's afraid of turning back to Vicodin. Later, House goes back to his apartment and finds a bottle of Vicodin that he stashed away awhile back. Wilson finds House feeling much better, which worries him. Wilson shares his concerns with Cuddy. He had House's urine tested and it came back clean because it was from a dog. Wilson and Cuddy confront House. To prove he is clean, he urinates in their presence.
Vince posted his symptoms on the internet. Some doctors come in to diagnose him. Before Foreman kicks them out, one doctor suggests a brain tumor. Thirteen tries to be diplomatic by saying that the diagnosis of both Foreman and the other doctor have merits. Foreman is angry that Thirteen did not completely back him up. Vince's MRI comes out clean, so Foreman orders Thirteen to treat for Thrombocytosis. Thirteen complains to House. He tells her to give in to Foreman to save their relationship. Foreman apologizes to Thirteen and they make up. However, Vince's lymph nodes swell up. Foreman was wrong about Thrombocytosis, and Vince offers a $25,000 reward for an answer online. The team is swamped by suggestions sent in from the public. Vince wants to be tested for amyloidosis
Amyloidosis
In medicine, amyloidosis refers to a variety of conditions whereby the body produces "bad proteins", denoted as amyloid proteins, which are abnormally deposited in organs and/or tissues and cause harm. A protein is described as being amyloid if, due to an alteration in its secondary structure, it...
. Foreman makes a deal with him: Foreman will test for amyloidosis, but if the test result is negative then Vince must cease requesting help on the internet.
Meanwhile, Taub quits as he received a recommendation from a friend to start a surgical practice. Foreman doesn't understand this move as he's holding up the diagnostics department so Taub and Thirteen can keep their jobs. Taub explains he came here to work because of House, not the department. Foreman is discouraged and turns to Thirteen for support.
The test results show deposits in the renal endothelium
Endothelium
The endothelium is the thin layer of cells that lines the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. These cells are called endothelial cells. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart...
consistent with amyloidosis. Vince hallucinates that he is in the world of the video game. He also spikes a fever. Thirteen and Foreman discuss the diagnosis while Vince is in a cold tub. Thirteen wants to turn to the internet theories but Foreman thinks Vince has light-chain deposition disease (LCDD), which can be treated with chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. Foreman has taken a shower and notices his pruned fingers in the locker room. He rushes to stop the chemo.
Vince's fingers did not prune up after being in the bathtub for an hour. This is a symptom of Fabry disease. Thirteen also came to this conclusion based on iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
mumps
Mumps
Mumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...
, which came from an internet suggestion. Thirteen comes to see Foreman in House's office. He is angry, but he needs her love and does not want their jobs to come between them. Because of this conflict, Foreman fires Thirteen.
House shows up at Dr. Nolan's office with a check for $25,000—he was the one who had solved Vince's case online. House tells Nolan that when he began diagnosing cases, the pain in his leg stopped. Nolan thinks it is best for House to return to diagnostic medicine in order to save him from his own addiction.