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.
Factual error: The patient is diagnosed with legionnaire's disease, caught from the AC unit above their desk. The legionella bacteria causing the disease is found in warm water (commonly dehumidifiers, industrial AC cooling towers, hot water tanks) - the key point being that a water source is required. The problem with this is that the AC unit above the patient's desk is a window unit. These sorts of AC units don't use water as a coolant - you can't catch legionnaire's from them.
Suggested correction: They don't use water as a coolant, but they can collect water that condensed from the cold inside the unit.
Which still doesn't allow for legionella to breed, not least the limited amount of collected water drains away (i.e. not like in water tanks and cooling towers). Healthcare professionals have consistently confirmed that window AC units aren't legionella risks for this reason. If you check the CDC website, it explicitly states that window AC units aren't potential legionella sources.
Factual error: In an episode with a severely overweight patient who is thought to have diabetes, it is discovered he instead has Chagas disease. Cameron then informs the patient that he acquired this illness from his food when, in fact, Chagas disease is a protozoan that is spread through the bite of the triatomine bug.
Suggested correction: While the main vector for the infection is through the triatomine bug, Trypanosoma cruzi (the parasitic organism that causes the disease) can be transmitted through food, and thus Chagas was caused by the food the patient ate. It should also be noted that Trypanosoma cruzi is not transmitted by the bite of the triatomine bug, but rather through its feces, and it's only spreads once the feces enters the blood stream (which it can do through a bite site or scratching an open wound).
Other mistake: When they first meet, the patient refers to the doctor as Omar, his real name, not his character's name.
Suggested correction: He never says the name Omar during the first scene where they interact.
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.
