Dexmedetomidine-Induced Fever in a 66-Year- Old Male With Pneumonia and Pleural Effusion

Drug-induced fever is a significant adverse effect as many commonly used medications can cause this. The incidence of drug fever is even higher in critical care settings because multiple medications are being administered simultaneously. This poses a serious problem in critical care settings as any new fever in these settings also implies any new infection or worsening of preexisting conditions. This may lead to a detailed investigation for the cause of fever, which can be time-consuming, invasive, costly, and may also increase the duration of stay along with an associated increase in morbidity and mortality. We want to highlight an adverse drug event through a documented case of Dexmedetomidine-induced fever in a critical care patient with multiple pathologies.

Automated summary

Drug-induced fever is a significant adverse effect, especially in critical care settings. It poses challenges for healthcare teams as they need to rule out new infections or worsening of the patient's condition.