Informed Consent (House)

House (TV series) episode
episode_name = Informed Consent
episode_no = HOU-303
airdate = September 19 2006
writer = David Foster
director = Laura Innes
guest_star =Joel Grey as Ezra Powell
Leighton Meester as Ali
William Charlton as Mark
Stephanie Venditto as Nurse Brenda Previn


season = 3
diagnosis = Congestive heart failure secondary to senile cardiac amyloidosis

Informed Consent is the third episode of the third season of "House" and the forty-ninth episode overall.

Plot

Dr. House's ketamine treatment has worn off and he is back to using his cane; but he doesn't want to talk about it. House has to diagnose Dr. Ezra Powell, a 71-year-old renowned pioneer in the field of medical research who collapsed while studying cancer in lab rats. House puts Powell through diagnostic rigors, but the team is unable to come up with a conclusive diagnosis, and Powell's health continues to deteriorate. Becoming increasingly debilitated, Powell ultimately demands that the team stop the litany of medical tests and euthanize him. House strikes a deal with him and asks for one day to do tests on him.

The moral dilemma of whether to assist in his suicide and abide by Powell's wishes, or to ignore what their patient wants drives the team in very different directions. The team members have divergent opinions on the morality of helping Powell die. Cameron despises the idea of interfering with what Dr. Powell wants to do. Both Foreman and Cameron are opposed watching House put Powell to sleep, but Chase seems to have little problem. Wilson says that House has done it before "plenty of times" and House insists that it was only "to patients that [he] knew were terminal." In an example of Chase's ongoing character development, among the four, Chase is the most religious.

When House fails to diagnose Powell in one day, he visits him in his room to give him the lethal morphine dose. Foreman tries to stop him, but House persists and threatens him with "Someone is going to get a buttload of morphine, but I'm not exactly sure who at this point." Foreman and Cameron leave in shock and disgust, but Chase stays to assist. But instead of killing him, House puts Powell in a coma, so that he can do his diagnosis in peace. Cameron wishes not to partake in any more of House's plans until House directs Cameron to an article in an old medical journal to better understand Powell and his beliefs, which Cameron strongly disagrees with. However, during a colonoscopy, Powell's lung gives out and House is forced to intervene and notices that Powell has lost reflex capabilities in his right arm. In order to proceed with additional diagnostic procedures, House wakes Powell from his coma and finds that Powell has also lost sensation in his abdomen and right leg. House asks Cameron to obtain a skin sample for other possible diseases he may have. Cameron and Powell engage in conversation where Powell reveals that he feels things such as informed consent interfere with research and thus he does not let it stand in the way. Cameron slices a piece of skin off using his perspective as her solution, upon which Powell commends her for doing what she believes is right.

House ends up diagnosing Powell with amyloidosis. Chase also finds that it is of sub-type AA and therefore is a terminal illness. During the end scenes, Powell is seen struggling for breath in his hospital bed, and Cameron sitting nervously in the locker room. The following morning, Cuddy comes into House's office to let him know that Powell passed away at 2:30 am, although declared stable at 2:00 am. House denies any knowledge of it and asks Cuddy if she would want to know even if he did. House then goes to Cameron, who is crying at the hospital chapel, suggesting that she aided in the passing away of Ezra by euthanizing him. House tells Cameron that he is proud of her, and leaves.

Music

During this episode's cold open, the music heard in the background is Johann Sebastian Bach's Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G, BWV 1007:1. Prélude, performed by Yo-Yo Ma. [ [http://www.fox.com/house/features/music/music_3.htm FOX Broadcasting Company: House Music Season 3] . Retrieved February 10, 2008]

Other featured songs are "Into Dust" by Mazzy Star, "Gravity" by John Mayer, "Happiness" by The Weepies, and "Have a Little Faith" by Paul Hanover Band.

Trivia

When Wilson jokes about House "making his one patient a week quota" it is a reference to the fact that House is on weekly, usually with a new patient each week.

While inspecting Powell, House mentions, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.",this may be a reference to Joel Grey's role as the Wizard in the Broadway show Wicked. It is also a reference to the Wizard's famous line in The Wizard of Oz.

Awards

Jennifer Morrison and Joel Grey submitted this episode for consideration of their work in the categories of "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" and "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series" respectively for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards.cite web|title = 2007 Emmys CONFIRMED Episode Submissions|url = http://goldderbyforums.latimes.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1106078764/m/53610293|publisher = The Envelope Forum, Los Angeles Times|accessdate = 2007-06-18]

External links

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* [http://politedissent.com/archives/1383 Medical Reviews of House: Informed Consent]

References