Challenges in Diagnosing Pantoprazole-Induced Drug Fever: A Case Report in a Critically Ill Patient

Drug fever remains a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), like pantoprazole, are rarely implicated in drug fever cases despite their widespread use. We present a case of a 56-year-old man hospitalized for acute hematemesis, who developed persistent fever despite antimicrobial therapy. Fever resolved rapidly upon discontinuing pantoprazole, confirming pantoprazole-induced drug fever. This case highlights the diagnostic complexities of drug fever in critically ill patients and underscores the importance of considering less commonly suspected agents like pantoprazole to avoid unnecessary treatments and prolonged hospitalizations.