Corrected entry: A kid is being taken to surgery to remove a magnet he swallowed because it may be stuck in his upper intestine. House diagnoses that the magnet is already in the lower intestine by taking a scalpel and showing that it's magnetically attracted to the lower abdomen. Surgical scalpels are made of high grade stainless steel and are not attracted by magnets.
Bishop73
5th Feb 2009
House, M.D. (2004)
7th May 2018
House, M.D. (2004)
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.
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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).
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Correction: Some scalpel blades are made of high carbon steel or tempered steel. The material used depends on the alloy content of the stainless steel. Certain types of stainless steel may be magnetic even if they do not contain nickel.
Bishop73