Cefuroxime: adverse event reports filed with FDA

5,078

reports as suspect product

0% of all reports · about 226 a year

293

reports, 12 months to June 2026

263 in the 12 months before

93.9%

marked serious by the reporter

89.1% across the class

9.3%

record death among outcomes, as reported

474 reports · not verified by FDA

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 reports recording the termmedian drug in cephalosporin antibacterial

1. Dyspnoeashortness of breath8.2%416
2. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected8%406
3. Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse6.1%311
4. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label5.7%290
5. Pyrexiafever5.6%282
6. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools5.4%273
7. Rashskin rash5.4%272
8. Drug hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction to a medicine5.3%271
9. Anaphylactic reactiona severe, sudden allergic reaction5.3%268
10. Foetal exposure during pregnancythe unborn baby was exposed to the medicine4.6%236
11. Asthmaasthma4.2%213
12. Wheezingwheezing4.2%212
13. Pneumonialung infection4.1%207
14. Urticariahives3.9%196
15. Haemoptysiscoughing up blood3.8%191
16. Vomitingbeing sick3.7%189
17. Therapeutic product effect incomplete3.7%188
18. Hypotensionlow blood pressure3.7%187
19. Pruritusitching3.6%183
20. Nauseafeeling sick3.6%182
21. Anxietyanxiety3.6%181
22. Vasculitisinflammation of blood vessels3.4%173
23. Drug interactionan interaction between medicines3.3%170
24. Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell3.3%167
25. Obstructive airways disorder3.3%167
26. Pulmonary vasculitis3.2%164
27. Pain in extremitypain in an arm or leg3.1%159
28. Lung disordera lung problem, type not specified3.1%158
29. Pulmonary fibrosis3.1%158
30. Respiratory symptom3.1%157

Top 30 of 1,236 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

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 12% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 5,078 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Other products listed in reports where Cefuroxime is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.

In context

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

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.

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 as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (6,449) 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.