House M.D. Diagnosis: Just a TV Show or Realistic?
With its sophisticated medical mysteries and Dr. Gregory House's unorthodox approaches, the popular medical drama "House M.d." has enthralled viewers for years. But a real-life physician, Dr. Mike, has voiced worries about the way the show presents medical procedures, especially in an episode including a Burn Victim.
Burn Victim Diagnosis: Assumptions and Unreasonable Tests
In a Season 2 "House M.d.," episode, a patient shows up at the hospital bearing ATV accident burn injuries. The episode centers on the medical team's inquiry into the patient's unusual symptoms—brain bleeding and loss of bodily control among other things. But Dr. Mike objected to the fictional doctors' excessive testing and assumptions since he thought the way the episode diagnosed was quite unrealistic.
House M.D. and Practical Medicine
According to Dr. Mike, in a real-world situation the patient's symptoms would not always call for the thorough testing and conjecture shown in the episode. He draws attention to the team's inclination toward hasty judgments and speculative ideas about several diseases without appropriate evidence. Emphasizing the lack of scientific basis in their approach, he even contrasts their diagnosis techniques with using a website like Webmd.
Examining realism helps one to understand House M.D.'s dubious approaches.
Although Dr. Mike notes that "House M.D." does have scenes that fairly depict medical practices, such as using maggots for wound treatment, he faults the show's treatment of Dr. House's aggressive techniques. In the episode under examination, Dr. House wakes the patient against will—an action he feels would have resulted in a dismissal in real life.
The Value in Juggling Accuracy and Entertainment
The episode's emphasis on a drug withdrawal diagnosis—with the medical team going to great lengths to find the problem—further fuels Dr. Mike's critique. He underlines the show's inclination to give dramatic stories top priority over medical accuracy by stressing that a real-life physician wouldn't have taken such extreme actions.
House M.D. and Affecting Medical Perception
By stretching the envelope of reality, the fictional universe of "House M.D." presents gripping stories. But it's important to separate real medical procedures from entertainment. Although the show has helped to increase knowledge of many medical disorders and inspire interest in medicine, its unrealistic portrayal of medical operations can mislead viewers and generate unjustified expectations of actual healthcare.
The Resilience of "House M.D."
Though it takes a fictionalized approach, "House M.D." has become a cultural phenomenon known for its challenging cases and deft, if unusual, detective work by Dr. House. The show's appeal is found in its fast-paced, mysterious stories, which captivate and enthrall viewers. Although the show's medical accuracy suffers, it remains a popular and interesting medical drama that has motivated viewers as well as medical professionals.
