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: 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)
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.
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)
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: 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.
Dying Changes Everything - S5-E1
Continuity mistake: Right at the end, when House is apologizing to Wilson, watch the bright spot on the TV frame on the wall behind House. In the long shots, the spot is right at the top left corner of the TV. In the close-up shots, the spot is closer to the middle. This is visible every time the shot changes from long to close-up. Light spots do not move depending on the position if the viewer. The only way a light spot changes is if the light source changes position or the reflecting surface changes position (try reflecting a flashlight beam off a mirror and then, leaving the flashlight and the mirror alone, move around. The reflected spot of light will not change position).
Not Cancer - S5-E2
Continuity mistake: The boxer falls backwards and is bleeding from his right ear. In the next shot, the blood trail is gone. (00:01:35)
Continuity mistake: At the start of the episode, when 13's date falls off the bed, she knocks the bedside lamp onto the floor. As 13 runs to the bedroom, the lamp is laid on its side on the bedside cabinet. As 13 bends down to attend to her date, the lamp is back on the floor. (00:01:05)
Continuity mistake: In the beginning of the episode, when Cuddy presents the case to House, she has her cell phone in her left hand when handing him the file. She doesn't have it in her hand when she slides the file closer to him. When the camera faces her, you can see her arms are bent up while talking to him, and see the phone. When the camera is facing House, Cuddy's arms are hanging down by her sides, no phone. (00:03:05)
Continuity mistake: Becca, the pregnant woman, says that Cuddy must be mad at her for having been a drug addict and possibly causing her baby's lungs to be underdeveloped. While she's talking, her right hand is rubbing her belly. In the close up, the hem of her hospital gown just barely reaches the middle of her tummy. In the immediate next shot, it is much further to the right side. (00:21:20)
Factual error: When Dr. Cameron's agoraphobic patient goes into cardiac arrest at home following the surgery, she tells House to get the paddles ready. House, while performing CPR is talking on the phone with the patient's lawyer, informing him that patient has PEA (pulseless electrical activity) on the cardiac monitor, but Dr. Cameron defibrillates the patient anyway, restoring the heartbeat. Defibrillation is not indicated for PEA, it will not restore the pulse and might send the patient into vFib.
Emancipation - S5-E8
Continuity mistake: At the very beginning, House walks in and puts his cane on the table on top of Thirteen's papers. She picks it up and moves it away, placing the bottom end on a stack of books. Cut to House and the cane is now flat on the table. (00:02:55)
Continuity mistake: When House steals Wilson's ice cream, the ice cream gets bitten more than once even though House only takes one bite at it. (00:12:45)
Continuity mistake: When House trips before entering his office, Taub is holding the patient's x-ray film. It is either over the folder or under it in different shots. (00:11:05)
Character mistake: The chef at the beginning is talking about mustard greens, but is actually holding up broccoli.
Continuity mistake: Season 6 - Ep. 6 Known Unknowns Before House goes to the hotel he's out on the street and the collar of his shirt is up during all front and back angles, except for a brief single back angle where it's down. Then it changes to up again.
Continuity mistake: House sits down and helps himself to Wilson's lunch. He pulls a fork out of his pocket. In the next shot, he's still fiddling with his jacket pocket, next shot, he's got the fork there again. (00:11:35)
