Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DHS) or Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) is defined as

Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DHS) or Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) is defined as

• A. A mild skin reaction after weeks
• B. A severe idiosyncratic multi-system reaction defined by fever, rash, and internal organ involvement, which may occur 1-8 weeks after medicine exposure
• C. An immediate anaphylactic reaction
• D. A skin-only hypersensitivity reaction

Answer: (B)

DRESS/DHS is a severe, idiosyncratic drug hypersensitivity that involves multiple organ systems, not just the skin. It typically presents with fever, a generalized rash, eosinophilia, and evidence of internal organ involvement (such as liver, kidney, or lung damage) after a delay of about 1–8 weeks from drug exposure. This option precisely describes the combination of systemic illness, organ involvement, and timing, which is what defines DRESS/DHS. By contrast, a mild skin reaction lacks systemic features, an immediate reaction is more like an IgE-mediated anaphylaxis occurring within minutes to hours, and a skin-only hypersensitivity does not account for the multi-organ involvement characteristic of DRESS/DHS.

DRESS/DHS is a severe, idiosyncratic drug hypersensitivity that involves multiple organ systems, not just the skin. It typically presents with fever, a generalized rash, eosinophilia, and evidence of internal organ involvement (such as liver, kidney, or lung damage) after a delay of about 1–8 weeks from drug exposure. This option precisely describes the combination of systemic illness, organ involvement, and timing, which is what defines DRESS/DHS. By contrast, a mild skin reaction lacks systemic features, an immediate reaction is more like an IgE-mediated anaphylaxis occurring within minutes to hours, and a skin-only hypersensitivity does not account for the multi-organ involvement characteristic of DRESS/DHS.