abstract
| - Henry Arrington, a 65 year old retiree with a history of acid reflux, presented at the emergency room accompanied by his 20 year old daughter after suffering an absence seizure. He was examined by Eric Foreman, who admitted him. Dr. House was assigned as his attending physician when the cause of the seizure was not immediately apparent. On further examination, the patient also presented with a swollen testicle. Dr. House suspected an STD, but the patient denied having any sexual contacts after his divorce from his wife over a year ago. However, when the daughter left the room, the patient admitted to a short sexual liaison with his ex-wife. He had withheld the information fearing that it would alienate his daughter from her mother. The patient was immediately treated with antibiotics, but suddenly started vomiting blood. After a further differential, Dr. House asked the patient if he had eaten any unpasteurized cheese as the patient had mentioned that he had seen his wife at a cheese-tasting party. The patient revealed that he had. House immediately diagnosed a brucellosis infection, complicated by myocarditis. The patient had been the only one who became infected because the antacids he had been taking lowered the level of acid in his stomach, making him prone to a stomach infection. The patient was put on broad spectrum antibiotics in the hope that the infection has been caught in time. However, the myocarditis was irreversible and the patient was soon suffering from congestive heart failure. The only available treatment was a heart transplant, but the transplant committee refused because of the patient's age. However, Dr. House and his team managed to salvage the heart of a 40-year old female accident victim, after finding out, ironically, that she had been suffering from gonorrhea. They treated the gonorrhea and transplanted the heart just as the patient's heart failed. The patient was last seen reconciling with his ex-wife.
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