Autopsy (House)
Encyclopedia
"Autopsy" is the second episode of the second season of House
, which premiered on the Fox
network on September 20, 2005. House and team struggle to diagnose a young girl whose cancer is not causing her more immediate symptoms.
and his team struggle to find the cause of hallucinations that Andie (Sasha Pieterse
) is seeing. She is a 9-year-old girl with terminal cancer
(alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
), but tests reveal that her cancer is in remission, meaning that the hallucinations are unrelated to her cancer. Meanwhile House questions Andie's motives for her bravery, suggesting it may itself be a symptom of a problem in her amygdala
.
House discovers a benign tumor in her heart, which is surgically removed, but it does not account for the hallucinations. House deduces that there must be a clot which the cancer deployed prior to removal. He suggests employing therapeutic hypothermia
to discover the clot, which does not show on an angiography: Cooling her body temperature down to 21 deg Celsius will stop her heart, effectively making her clinically dead. Then the doctors will remove 2-3 liters of blood and discover the clot when the blood is pumped back in. House compares this procedure to "performing an autopsy
on a living person."
The blood removal and temperature can not be held for more than 60 seconds or she will suffer permanent damage. Wilson calls it a "lottery shot", but finding the clot will give her an additional year to live. In a tense moment Foreman finds the clot, which only appeared for a fraction of a second, and with his direction the surgery is successful.
Wilson confronts House about the placement of the blood clot – it wasn't in her amygdala. House concedes he was wrong about Andie's bravery being a symptom of her clot, but replies to Wilson saying the girl is dead anyway. Wilson states that Andie could outlive him. When Andie is leaving the hospital she hugs each of the staff, finally reaching House, who stands and looks awkward as she hugs him. Andie tells House, "It's sunny outside, you should go for a walk."
As House is leaving the hospital he stands and admires some motorcycles. He asks the salesman if he can take one for a test ride. The episode ends with House riding the motorcycle down a long stretch of empty road.
" by Christina Aguilera
is featured at both ends of the episode. Andie sings along with the original in the opening scene; at the end, Elvis Costello
's cover version plays as House test-drives the motorcycle.
House claims he took 1000 mg of Benadryl
for his bad cold. That is a far larger dose than is recommended for adults, with potentially dangerous effects.
During the hypothermic procedure, House announces that Andie is clinically dead--but right after that, her eyelashes are fluttering for a moment.
won a Writers Guild of America Award in 2006 for this episode.
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 September 20, 2005. House and team struggle to diagnose a young girl whose cancer is not causing her more immediate symptoms.
Plot
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...
and his team struggle to find the cause of hallucinations that Andie (Sasha Pieterse
Sasha Pieterse
Sasha Pieterse is a South African-born American actress.-Career:She began acting in 2002, when she was given the role of Buffy Davis on the Warner Brothers remake of the popular show Family Affair. In 2004, she appeared in Stargate SG-1 and House...
) is seeing. She is a 9-year-old girl with terminal cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
(alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of rhabdomyosarcoma characterized by its appearance, which is similar to the alveoli of the lungs.It can be associated with a fusion protein between PAX3 and FKHR ....
), but tests reveal that her cancer is in remission, meaning that the hallucinations are unrelated to her cancer. Meanwhile House questions Andie's motives for her bravery, suggesting it may itself be a symptom of a problem in her amygdala
Amygdala
The ' are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.-...
.
House discovers a benign tumor in her heart, which is surgically removed, but it does not account for the hallucinations. House deduces that there must be a clot which the cancer deployed prior to removal. He suggests employing therapeutic hypothermia
Therapeutic hypothermia
Therapeutic hypothermia, also known as protective hypothermia, is a medical treatment that lowers a patient's body temperature in order to help reduce the risk of the ischemic injury to tissue following a period of insufficient blood flow. Periods of insufficient blood flow may be due to cardiac...
to discover the clot, which does not show on an angiography: Cooling her body temperature down to 21 deg Celsius will stop her heart, effectively making her clinically dead. Then the doctors will remove 2-3 liters of blood and discover the clot when the blood is pumped back in. House compares this procedure to "performing an autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
on a living person."
The blood removal and temperature can not be held for more than 60 seconds or she will suffer permanent damage. Wilson calls it a "lottery shot", but finding the clot will give her an additional year to live. In a tense moment Foreman finds the clot, which only appeared for a fraction of a second, and with his direction the surgery is successful.
Wilson confronts House about the placement of the blood clot – it wasn't in her amygdala. House concedes he was wrong about Andie's bravery being a symptom of her clot, but replies to Wilson saying the girl is dead anyway. Wilson states that Andie could outlive him. When Andie is leaving the hospital she hugs each of the staff, finally reaching House, who stands and looks awkward as she hugs him. Andie tells House, "It's sunny outside, you should go for a walk."
As House is leaving the hospital he stands and admires some motorcycles. He asks the salesman if he can take one for a test ride. The episode ends with House riding the motorcycle down a long stretch of empty road.
Music
The song "BeautifulBeautiful (Christina Aguilera song)
"Beautiful" is a song written by Linda Perry and recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped...
" by Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
is featured at both ends of the episode. Andie sings along with the original in the opening scene; at the end, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
's cover version plays as House test-drives the motorcycle.
Goofs
In the opening scene, the hypodermic syringe that Andie is using to inject herself is empty.House claims he took 1000 mg of Benadryl
Benadryl
Benadryl is a brand name allergy medicine marketed over-the-counter by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil Consumer Healthcare. Prior to 2007, Benadryl was marketed by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare...
for his bad cold. That is a far larger dose than is recommended for adults, with potentially dangerous effects.
During the hypothermic procedure, House announces that Andie is clinically dead--but right after that, her eyelashes are fluttering for a moment.
Award
Writer Lawrence KaplowLawrence Kaplow
Lawrence Kaplow is an American television writer and producer most notable for his work on the FOX series House. He won the 2005 Writers Guild of America Award for "Outstanding Television Script, Episodic Drama" for the House episode "Autopsy" .In addition to House, Kaplow has written for Family...
won a Writers Guild of America Award in 2006 for this episode.
External links
- "Autopsy" at Fox.com