You Don't Want to Know - S4-E8
Factual error: Dr. House argues that the symptoms of the patient (DIC, bleeding, and multisystem failure) can be explained by the fact that they gave him the wrong type of blood (type AB). House says the reason they could make such a mistake is that they don't test blood type, they test antibodies. Dr. Foreman responds it's because the human body only makes those antibodies when you have that type of blood. This part is incorrect. In fact, it's the exact opposite. You only produce antibodies against the antigens that you DO not have. If you did, your immune system would attack your own red blood cells (RBCs), which would cause autoimmune hemolytic anemia (aiha). For example, if your blood type is A, you make antibody B and vice versa. A person with blood type AB has A and B antigens on the RBCs, but does not produce antibodies A or B and is therefore a universal recipient. Ironically, the latter is also mentioned by Dr. Wilson in a conversation with House earlier in the episode when he says "Of course you're type AB - universal recipient. You take from everybody." House then says that the patient has blood type A, but he's making an extra antibody of type B, which led them to believe he has blood type AB and therefore give him type AB blood. House then deduces that this caused the immunologic reaction, leading to the diagnosis, SLE (lupus), which can cause acquired aiha. It's correct that giving type AB blood to a person with blood type A would cause this, but the first part is wrong. If he is type A, he is supposed to make antibody B, not antibody A, so if he were making an extra antibody, it would be antibody A, not antibody B. (00:38:20)
Factual error: In episode 414, "Living the Dream," the patient Evan is given a nerve function test. We see Kutner and Taub performing the test by puncturing Evan's legs with needles. Modern nerve function tests actually rely on electrical impulses from a small computerized device, with no needles necessary.
Suggested correction: House ordered an EMG (electromyography) to test for motor nerve entrapment. During an EMG, one or more small needles (electrodes) are inserted through the skin into the muscle. The electrical activity picked up by the electrodes is then displayed on an oscilloscope. An audio amplifier is used so the activity can be heard. When an electrode is inserted, a brief period of activity can be seen on the oscilloscope, but after that, no signal should be present.
Continuity mistake: In the episode that aired on 27 March 2008 in the UK, House has the shot glasses next to each other. Camera changes after a few seconds where you can see House's hands, and the glasses are no longer apart.
Audio problem: Amber calls House and he hangs up on her. Her phone makes a beeping sound as she presses the button. Her phone is an I-phone, which doesn't beep like that.
Factual error: House diagnoses contagious ecthyma in a patient exposed to a donkey. This zoonosis is however NOT transmitted by donkeys. "Contagious ecthyma virus causes papillomatous lesions on lips and mouth, and sometimes on the interdigital areas of primarily young sheep and goats. The hosts of contagious ecthyma virus are sheep, goats, alpacas, chamois, Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep, Doll sheep, steenbok, wild thar, dog, camel, reindeer, musk ox, and man." https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-524180-9.50039-X. (00:27:07 - 00:27:40)
Continuity mistake: Throughout both parts of season 4's finale ("House's Head" and "Wilson's Heart"), Amber is always shown getting hit from the back and sitting facing House, so her seat's back is to the windows. Yet the last time we see the accident, that is, right after she took the flu pills, she is definitely sitting neatly sideways to the window (i.e. the seat is perpendicular to it) and getting hit from the right side. It most likely was done for artistic reasons, as the back shot, shown multiple times, makes for a very neat effect, with her blonde hair flowing around her like sunrays.
Plot hole: Since the doctors do not know the identity of the patient, Cole and Thirteen are given the car keys they found on the man and instructed to go to the area where he was found and try it in every car door. When House calls them, Thirteen says, "His car was towed and the tow gate's locked." House tells them to break in to the car impound. Given the only way for them to identify the car was using the keys, if the car's been towed away then it wasn't there for them to try the key in the first place.
Other mistake: At the end, before House's "realisation" the camera pans out and shows a street light when House and Wilson are outside talking. The lamp top is covered with fresh snow. It's been dark for sometime. The heat from the bulb would have melted snow had it actually been real.
You Don't Want to Know - S4-E8
Factual error: Amber triggers a fire alarm by heating the sprinkler with her lighter. Unfortunately that fire sprinkler doesn't detect heat (or smoke). The sensor is located between the ceiling lamps, about two meters from the fire sprinkler. (00:09:00)
Suggested correction: Heat applied to the sprinkler would cause it to activate and spray water. All modern fire systems will detect this water pressure drop and activate the alarm.
Continuity mistake: A third of the way into the show when Hadley and House are arguing while walking out of House's office, Hadley's necklace watch is backwards and out of the top of her blouse. When they stop walking and switched to a shot of House then back to Hadley, her necklace watch is right-side front and inside the top of her blouse.
Other mistake: When Kate asks House about his insomnia, he reacts by turning to look at her, except that he is now holding the computer in front of him and should be looking there to look at her, not at the coffee table. (00:17:46)
Continuity mistake: After Amber hangs up after trying to call House, the angle changes and suddenly her phone is nowhere to be seen.
