Drugs › Cephalosporin antibacterial
Generic name
Cefuroxime sodium: adverse event reports filed with FDA
865 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Cephalosporin antibacterial.
- 865
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 38 a year
- 51
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 61 in the 12 months before
- 97.3%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 89.1% across the class
- 11.8%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 102 reports · not verified by FDA
865 adverse event reports received by FDA list cefuroxime sodium, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to June 2026. A further 408 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 51 reports listed it, down 16% from 61 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 38 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 1.5% of the reports for the cephalosporin antibacterial class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The reactions recorded most often are dyspnoea (14.3%), condition aggravated (10.1%) and pulmonary alveolar haemorrhage (9.5%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 353 different terms appear across these reports. Dyspnoea is recorded in 14.3% of these reports, a larger share than in the median cephalosporin antibacterial drug (2.8%).
97.3% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (89.1% across the class); 11.8% record death among the outcomes and 39% record hospitalisation, as reported. 36.8% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 65 to 74 (21.7%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Cefuroxime sodium reports recording the termmedian drug in cephalosporin antibacterial
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath14.3%124
- Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse10.1%87
- Pulmonary fibrosis9.5%82
- Haemoptysiscoughing up blood9.4%81
- Pulmonary vasculitis9.4%81
- Wheezingwheezing9.2%80
- Asthmaasthma9.1%79
- Lung disordera lung problem, type not specified9.1%79
- Neuritis9.1%79
- Neurological symptom9.1%79
- Hypothyroidismunderactive thyroid9%78
- Anxietyanxiety8.9%77
- Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis8.9%77
- Vasculitisinflammation of blood vessels8.9%77
- Respiratory symptom8.8%76
- Pain in extremitypain in an arm or leg8.3%72
- Anaphylactic shocka severe allergic reaction with collapse7.6%66
- Hypoxialow oxygen7.1%61
- Forced expiratory volume decreased6.8%59
- Productive cougha cough with phlegm6.7%58
- Pulmonary embolisma blood clot in the lung6.5%56
- Total lung capacity abnormal6.5%56
- Visual impairmentreduced vision6.4%55
Top 30 of 353 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 17 drugs in the cephalosporin antibacterial class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 57,006 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 4.9% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Antibiotic prophylaxis | 127 | 14.7% |
| Prophylaxis | 64 | 7.4% |
| Infection prophylaxis | 28 | 3.2% |
| Cataract operation | 20 | 2.3% |
| Surgery | 19 | 2.2% |
| Infection | 15 | 1.7% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 865 reports.
In context
| Measure | Cefuroxime sodium | Cephalosporin antibacterial | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 865 | 57,006 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 1.5% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 51 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 97.3% | 89.1% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 118 | 133 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 390 | 454 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 19.2% | 11.7% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Dyspnoea 14.3% | median 2.8% | 2.7% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the cephalosporin antibacterial class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceftriaxone | generic | 17,155 | 1,294 | 93.7% |
| Cephalexin | generic | 5,647 | 472 | 70.6% |
| Cefepime | generic | 5,419 | 505 | 95% |
| Cefuroxime | generic | 5,078 | 293 | 93.9% |
| Cefazolin | generic | 4,193 | 293 | 92% |
| Ceftriaxone sodium | generic | 3,779 | 311 | 93.3% |
| Ceftazidime | generic | 3,316 | 241 | 96.7% |
| Cefotaxime | generic | 2,210 | 104 | 98.1% |
| Cefuroxime axetil | generic | 2,100 | 172 | 75.7% |
| Cefdinir | generic | 1,614 | 83 | 50.3% |
| Cefazolin sodium | generic | 1,331 | 191 | 95.5% |
| Cefepime hydrochloride | generic | 1,021 | 51 | 86.6% |
| Cefixime | generic | 933 | 86 | 89.8% |
| Zerbaxa | brand | 891 | 18 | 66.1% |
| Cefaclor | generic | 729 | 38 | 78.9% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Cefuroxime sodium reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Cefuroxime sodium?
865 reports list Cefuroxime sodium as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 51 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 408 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Cefuroxime sodium reports?
dyspnoea (14.3%), condition aggravated (10.1%), pulmonary alveolar haemorrhage (9.5%), pulmonary fibrosis (9.5%) and haemoptysis (9.4%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Cefuroxime sodium was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
97.3% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 11.8% of reports include death and 39% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
other health professional (36.8%), physician (27.9%) and consumer or non-health professional (19.2%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Cefuroxime sodium rising?
51 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 16% from 61 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Cefuroxime sodium was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Cefuroxime sodium?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Cefuroxime sodium as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (408) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.