Also known as: Broken arm
Young boy presents with arm pain, X-ray reveals two-bone fracture requiring surgical plating. During surgery, a mass is discovered that is later identified as cancer, creating conflict when one parent refuses consent for tumor removal.
Also known as: Soft tissue cancer
A cancerous mass is discovered in Darius's arm during fracture repair surgery. The diagnosis creates major conflict when his father refuses consent for removal, requiring Dr. Scott to convince him to agree to the life-saving surgery.
Also known as: Liver failure
Hall of Fame athlete presents with vomiting and is diagnosed with fulminant liver failure requiring transplant. His active alcoholism creates ethical conflict about transplant eligibility, leading to a controversial living donor transplant procedure.
Also known as: Alcoholism
Wes Tucker's chronic alcoholism is the underlying cause of his liver failure and creates the central ethical conflict of the episode regarding transplant eligibility, as he tested positive for alcohol despite needing to be six months sober per UNOS rules.
Also known as: Blood infection
Young woman collapses in hospital lobby and is found to have sepsis from infected gluteal implants performed by an unlicensed surgeon. Her infection spreads systemically and she develops life-threatening complications including respiratory failure.
Nadia develops a silicone embolus from leaking gluteal implants that travels to her right ventricle and obstructs her pulmonary valve, requiring emergency catheter extraction to prevent death. A second patient Alexandra also develops the same complication requiring field intervention.
Also known as: Panic attacks
Patient presents with chest pain from a panic attack mimicking a heart attack. Later volunteers as living liver donor for Wes Tucker, but his anxiety disorder raises concerns about his capacity to make such a major medical decision.
Also known as: Slow heart rate
During liver donation surgery, Miles develops severe bradycardia and cardiac arrest due to beta blockers he took pre-operatively for anxiety, requiring emergency resuscitation and temporary pacemaker placement.