Also known as: Collapsed lung
Hanna develops a tension pneumothorax after a secondary collapse during her rescue attempt. House performs an emergency needle decompression in the field to reinflate her lung.
Also known as: Cement entrapment injury
Hanna's leg is pinned under concrete rubble for hours. The team debates amputation versus waiting for rescue due to risk of crush syndrome, where dying muscle releases toxins that can stop the heart when circulation is restored.
Also known as: Fat in bloodstream
After House amputates Hanna's leg in the field, she develops a fatal fat embolism - fat particles from the bone marrow enter her bloodstream and block her pulmonary circulation. House is unable to save her despite his efforts.
Also known as: Leg amputation
House performs a field amputation of Hanna's leg below the knee after she is trapped under rubble for hours. The procedure is central to the episode's emotional arc and House's reflection on his own leg injury.
Also known as: Brain cyst
The crane operator who caused the collapse is found to have an arachnoid cyst on his lower spine. Sitting for long periods spiked his spinal fluid pressure, causing syncope (not simple fatigue), which led to the accident.
Also known as: Fractured skull
Multiple trauma victims from the crane collapse are triaged. One patient with a skull fracture and Glasgow Coma Score of 11 is tagged as immediate priority during the mass casualty triage scene.
Also known as: Broken arm
The crane operator sustains a stable fracture of the right humerus in the collapse, which is noted during his initial examination.
Also known as: DIC
The crane operator develops bleeding from eyes and nose. The team considers DIC as a potential systemic complication of infection, though this is part of their differential diagnosis process.
During triage, Cuddy identifies a victim with atherosclerotic emboli in the toes and smoker's facies, determining he won't survive surgery and tags him as expectant (palliative care only).
House's own leg injury from a muscle infarction is central to the episode. He shares his story with Hanna, explaining he refused amputation and now lives with chronic pain and disability, using this to convince her to accept amputation.