Human Error (House)
Encyclopedia
"Human Error" is the twenty-fourth episode and season finale
of the third season of House
and the seventieth episode overall.
n couple travels to the United States
after much difficulty, almost drowning in the ocean, to see House
. Esteban, the husband, hopes that House can save his wife Marina. Back in New Jersey
, Foreman is days away from officially quitting. Wilson
points out that House should try to convince Foreman to stay and knows that House is not good with change, and is still playing the same guitar
he has had since eighth grade, that he drives a ten year old car, and that he has been living in the same apartment for 15 years.
House dismisses Chase's belief that Marina has an infection and House, along with Foreman, believes that it is cancer
. Chase is angry that House is going along with whatever Foreman says (accusing House of a sloppy ploy to get Foreman to stay) and later confronts House in his office. Before he can say anything, House fires him. Despite disapproval from Cuddy, Wilson, Foreman, and Cameron, House refuses to reverse his decision.
After Esteban calls House's home many times, House comes into the hospital to see that Marina's pulse has stopped even though she talks and breathes without any difficulty. House has her cough to keep the blood flowing into her head and then they administer CPR
rather than perform a bypass. Wilson believes human error on Foreman’s part caused the heart to fail. House polls several med students, who cannot think of anything helpful. After several hours of CPR, Cuddy forces House to put her on bypass. A surgeon declares her dead after failed attempts to jump-start her heart but does not call time of death, so that the husband can say goodbye. House informs Esteban of his wife's death after Cuddy insists that he do so. Esteban goes to visit her one last time before they remove the machine maintaining her heart. The machines are off, but Esteban feels the heartbeat on her chest. Suddenly, Marina wakes up after being dead for a day. House suspects a congenital defect in an artery, orders another angiogram, and finds the cause: her heart has an unnecessary third ostium
, which can be fixed with surgery.
House is having dinner when Foreman comes in to tell House he is leaving. Despite House's (extremely cynical) plea to stay including his admission that he needs Foreman and that he is the best man for the job, Foreman leaves. House goes back to his office and finds Cameron, who announces that she will resign, telling House "I'll miss you." She had earlier been to Chase’s house and kissed him on the doorstep.
House meets with Esteban in Marina's room while she sleeps. Esteban and House enjoy two cigars and discuss how he feels about his team leaving. Esteban tells him he must be upset, but House realizes he is not.
House walks back to his home to find a large box waiting for him. He takes it into his apartment and opens it to reveal a new guitar.
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
of the third season of House
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...
and the seventieth episode overall.
Plot
A CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n couple travels to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after much difficulty, almost drowning in the ocean, to see 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...
. Esteban, the husband, hopes that House can save his wife Marina. Back in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Foreman is days away from officially quitting. 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,...
points out that House should try to convince Foreman to stay and knows that House is not good with change, and is still playing the same guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
he has had since eighth grade, that he drives a ten year old car, and that he has been living in the same apartment for 15 years.
House dismisses Chase's belief that Marina has an infection and House, along with Foreman, believes that it is 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...
. Chase is angry that House is going along with whatever Foreman says (accusing House of a sloppy ploy to get Foreman to stay) and later confronts House in his office. Before he can say anything, House fires him. Despite disapproval from Cuddy, Wilson, Foreman, and Cameron, House refuses to reverse his decision.
After Esteban calls House's home many times, House comes into the hospital to see that Marina's pulse has stopped even though she talks and breathes without any difficulty. House has her cough to keep the blood flowing into her head and then they administer CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
rather than perform a bypass. Wilson believes human error on Foreman’s part caused the heart to fail. House polls several med students, who cannot think of anything helpful. After several hours of CPR, Cuddy forces House to put her on bypass. A surgeon declares her dead after failed attempts to jump-start her heart but does not call time of death, so that the husband can say goodbye. House informs Esteban of his wife's death after Cuddy insists that he do so. Esteban goes to visit her one last time before they remove the machine maintaining her heart. The machines are off, but Esteban feels the heartbeat on her chest. Suddenly, Marina wakes up after being dead for a day. House suspects a congenital defect in an artery, orders another angiogram, and finds the cause: her heart has an unnecessary third ostium
Ostium primum
In the developing heart, the atria initially communicate with each other by an opening between the free edge of the septum primum and the AV cushions, known as the primary interatrial foramen or ostium primum , below the free margin of the septum.-Closing of ostium primum:This opening is closed by...
, which can be fixed with surgery.
House is having dinner when Foreman comes in to tell House he is leaving. Despite House's (extremely cynical) plea to stay including his admission that he needs Foreman and that he is the best man for the job, Foreman leaves. House goes back to his office and finds Cameron, who announces that she will resign, telling House "I'll miss you." She had earlier been to Chase’s house and kissed him on the doorstep.
House meets with Esteban in Marina's room while she sleeps. Esteban and House enjoy two cigars and discuss how he feels about his team leaving. Esteban tells him he must be upset, but House realizes he is not.
House walks back to his home to find a large box waiting for him. He takes it into his apartment and opens it to reveal a new guitar.
Trivia
- This marks the first appearance of Kathryn Adams, who plays the first-year med student who suggests tainted Botox, after which House asks her to send him her resume. In the next episode, Alone, Adams plays an ER nurse who cooperates with House - after which House again tells her to send him her resume. In the next episode, The Right Stuff, Adams appears again as one of the fellowship candidates, #23 (and is ironically the first one to get fired).