Also known as: Stage 4 lung cancer
Respiratory failureDeath
Charles James, a TV writer, is brought to the hospital during an E. coli panic but is discovered to have metastatic lung cancer with a chronic cough. Initially told he has only weeks to live, the doctors later realize they mixed up his chart with another patient. However, he ultimately dies at the end of the episode, subverting the sitcom-style happy ending.
Scrubs — S04E17Patient: Charles James
Escherichia coli infectionsupporting
Also known as: E. coli infection
A media-reported outbreak of E. coli from tainted meat causes a wave of hypochondriac patients to flood the hospital, though most do not actually have the infection. The staff must screen patients for the key symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea to identify true cases.