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Occam's Razor (House)
Encyclopedia
"Occam's Razor" is the third episode of the first season of House
, which premiered on the Fox
network on November 30, 2004. The principle of Occam's razor
is mentioned several times in the episode, as well as being the title of the episode itself.
where he presents with cough
, severe abdominal pain
, nausea
, low blood pressure, and fever
. Cameron says that one disease cannot cause all of these symptoms.
After Brandon's kidneys begin to fail
, Foreman
suggests that he has a viral heart infection. House
disagrees, saying that simultaneous development of hypothyroidism
and a sinus infection is more likely. Foreman and House argue that each of their respective diagnoses more closely conforms to Occam's razor
. Unexpectedly, Brandon's white blood cell count drops, indicating House and Foreman were both wrong. Brandon's damaged immune system
leaves him vulnerable to the simplest infections.
At the clinic pharmacy
, House develops a new theory that Brandon's cough medicine was accidentally replaced with the gout
medicine, colchicine
. House explains that colchicine poisoning accounts for all of Brandon's symptoms save one—his cough. However, a visit to Brandon's pharmacy appears to rule out the cough medicine as the source of the colchicine. Undeterred, House pulls out some of Brandon's hair, which House claims as further support for his theory. House orders treatment for colchicine overdose, and Brandon recovers.
House then raids the clinic pharmacy looking for a form of colchicine that would explain Brandon's overdose. Chase
and Cameron discover from Brandon that his old "cough medicine" tablets didn't have letters on them, while the genuine cough medicine they provide does. As this scene plays out, House discovers a colchicine pill in the pharmacy that looks similar to Brandon's old "cough medicine" and compares it to the real one with the letter.
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 November 30, 2004. The principle of Occam's razor
Occam's razor
Occam's razor, also known as Ockham's razor, and sometimes expressed in Latin as lex parsimoniae , is a principle that generally recommends from among competing hypotheses selecting the one that makes the fewest new assumptions.-Overview:The principle is often summarized as "simpler explanations...
is mentioned several times in the episode, as well as being the title of the episode itself.
Plot
Brandon and his fiancée Mindy are having sex in their house when Brandon passes out. Brandon ends up in the emergency roomEmergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
where he presents with cough
Cough
A cough is a sudden and often repetitively occurring reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes...
, severe abdominal pain
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...
, nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
, low blood pressure, and 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...
. Cameron says that one disease cannot cause all of these symptoms.
After Brandon's kidneys begin to fail
Acute renal failure
Acute kidney injury , previously called acute renal failure , is a rapid loss of kidney function. Its causes are numerous and include low blood volume from any cause, exposure to substances harmful to the kidney, and obstruction of the urinary tract...
, 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...
suggests that he has a viral heart infection. 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...
disagrees, saying that simultaneous development of hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone.Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide but it can be caused by other causes such as several conditions of the thyroid gland or, less commonly, the pituitary gland or...
and a sinus infection is more likely. Foreman and House argue that each of their respective diagnoses more closely conforms to Occam's razor
Occam's razor
Occam's razor, also known as Ockham's razor, and sometimes expressed in Latin as lex parsimoniae , is a principle that generally recommends from among competing hypotheses selecting the one that makes the fewest new assumptions.-Overview:The principle is often summarized as "simpler explanations...
. Unexpectedly, Brandon's white blood cell count drops, indicating House and Foreman were both wrong. Brandon's damaged 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...
leaves him vulnerable to the simplest infections.
At the clinic pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, House develops a new theory that Brandon's cough medicine was accidentally replaced with the gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
medicine, 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...
. House explains that colchicine poisoning accounts for all of Brandon's symptoms save one—his cough. However, a visit to Brandon's pharmacy appears to rule out the cough medicine as the source of the colchicine. Undeterred, House pulls out some of Brandon's hair, which House claims as further support for his theory. House orders treatment for colchicine overdose, and Brandon recovers.
House then raids the clinic pharmacy looking for a form of colchicine that would explain Brandon's overdose. Chase
Robert Chase
Dr. Robert Chase is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Jesse Spencer. His character was a part of the team of diagnosticians who worked under Gregory House until the end of the third season when House fires him. However, he was then re-hired in season 6...
and Cameron discover from Brandon that his old "cough medicine" tablets didn't have letters on them, while the genuine cough medicine they provide does. As this scene plays out, House discovers a colchicine pill in the pharmacy that looks similar to Brandon's old "cough medicine" and compares it to the real one with the letter.
External links
- "Occam's Razor" at Fox.com