Drug fever

PreviewThe patient with unexplained fever is often a puzzle even to astute clinicians. If other causes can be eliminated, the cause may be drug fever—an incompletely understood allergic or hypersensitivity reaction to a medication. Many conditions cause fever, and many of the findings in drug fever are nonspecific and resemble infection, making diagnosis a challenge. Dr Cunha discusses the importance of early recognition and the diagnostic features of drug fever.