"Informed Consent" is the third episode of the third season of ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

'' and the forty-ninth episode overall. The episode aired on

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

on September 19, 2006.

Plot

ketamine Ketamine is a cyclohexanone-derived general anesthetic and NMDA receptor antagonist with analgesic and hallucinogenic properties, used medically for anesthesia, depression, and pain management. Ketamine exists as its S- (esketamine) a ...

treatment has worn off, which means he has to resort to the use of his cane as a walking aid. He has to diagnose Dr. Ezra Powell (played by

Joel Grey Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ''Cabaret (musical), Cabaret'' on Broadway theatre, ...

), a 71-year-old renowned pioneer in the field of medical research who collapsed while studying

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

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 Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords select committee on medical ethics defines euthanasia as "a ...

him. House strikes a deal with him and asks for one day to do tests on him. When House fails to diagnose Powell in one day, he visits him in his room to give him a lethal

morphine Morphine, formerly also called morphia, is an opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin produced by drying the latex of opium poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as an analgesic (pain medication). There are ...

dose. Instead of killing him, House puts Powell in a coma, so that he can do his diagnosis in peace. Cameron becomes disgusted with House for acting against the wishes of the patient and for tricking him just so that House can solve his puzzle. House says to Cameron that "you can either save a patient or you can let him die, but you cannot do both". House also asks Cameron to read a particular medical journal. In said journal, she reads an article revealing that Dr. Powell had performed radiology treatment as an experiment on many babies without the consent of their parents. House notices that Powell has lost reflex capabilities in his right arm, and wakes Powell from his coma to find that Powell has also lost sensation in his abdomen and right leg. He sends Cameron to get skin for a biopsy, which she does after discussing Powell's lack of regret for what he did involving the radiation treatment. House ends up diagnosing Powell with

amyloidosis Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which abnormal proteins, known as amyloid fibrils, build up in tissue. There are several non-specific and vague signs and symptoms associated with amyloidosis. These include fatigue, peripheral edema, weigh ...

and Chase finds that it is of sub-type AA, and is therefore a terminal illness. The following morning, Cuddy informs House that Powell died at 2:30 am, although he had been declared stable at 2:00 am. House then goes to Cameron, who is crying in the hospital chapel, and tells her that he is proud of her, indicating that Cameron had overcome her fear and helped to end the life of the patient according to his wishes.

Themes

The episode's title is a reference to the main issue of the episode, the concept of

informed consent Informed consent is an applied ethics principle that a person must have sufficient information and understanding before making decisions about accepting risk. Pertinent information may include risks and benefits of treatments, alternative treatme ...

, a cornerstone of medical practice. Throughout the series, Dr. House plays fast and loose with patient consent, considering that he knows what is best for them and that their opinion is irrelevant.

Awards

Jennifer Morrison Jennifer Marie Morrison (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress and director. She is most known for her roles as Dr. Allison Cameron in the medical-drama series ''House'' (2004–2012) and Emma Swan in the ABC adventure-fantasy series '' ...

and

submitted this episode for consideration of their work in the categories of "

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, ...

" and " Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series" respectively for the

59th Primetime Emmy Awards The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 16, 2007, honoring the best in U.S. prime time television programming at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ED ...

References

External links

"Informed Consent"
at Fox.com *

Plot

Themes

Awards

References

External links

See also