OpenClaim

Cefazolin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cefazolin include pain, renal failure, and injury, based on 14,906 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 4.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cefazolin side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for cefazolin.

1
Pain5.3%784
2
Renal Failure5.0%739
3
Injury4.7%700
4
Anxiety4.5%670
5
Hypotension4.5%664
6
Drug Ineffective4.4%663
7
Unevaluable Event4.3%642
8
Anaphylactic Shock4.1%612
9
Anaphylactic Reaction3.9%581
10
Rash3.8%563
11
Fear3.8%562
12
Acute Kidney Injury3.5%527
13
Emotional Distress3.3%499
14
Renal Injury3.3%490
15
Pyrexia2.9%438

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that cefazolin caused these reactions.

Report severity

93.2%Serious13,885 reports
50.3%Hospitalizations7,500 reports
12.9%Fatal1,921 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cefazolin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cefazolin. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Propofol10.3%1,541
2
Dexamethasone6.6%978
3
Vancomycin5.3%796
4
Sufentanil-citrate5.3%793
5
Aprotinin5.2%769
6
Ketamine-hydrochloride4.7%697
7
Acetaminophen4.7%696
8
Rocuronium-bromide4.6%687
9
Fentanyl4.4%649
10
Lidocaine4.0%597
11
Ondansetron3.3%488
12
Midazolam3.1%456
13
Heparin2.8%414
14
Bupivacaine2.6%388
15
Pantoprazole-sodium2.6%383

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen19.1%2,843
2
Fentanyl14.0%2,087
3
Furosemide13.2%1,965
4
Midazolam11.3%1,688
5
Heparin11.1%1,660
6
Propofol11.0%1,646
7
Aspirin10.2%1,521
8
Ondansetron9.6%1,434
9
Vancomycin9.0%1,339
10
Lidocaine8.1%1,206
11
Dexamethasone7.7%1,150
12
Insulin7.7%1,149
13
Pantoprazole-sodium7.2%1,078
14
Metoprolol7.1%1,064
15
Amlodipine7.1%1,061

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports cefazolin side effects

46.1% of cefazolin adverse event reports involve female patients and 46.4% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 55%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female46.1%
Male46.4%
Unknown7.5%

Age group

< 22.5%
2–113.3%
12–172.6%
18–6454.6%
65+37.0%

What is cefazolin used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking cefazolin when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal InfectionAbdominal InjuryAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominal Wall AbscessAbscessAbscess LimbAccidental Exposure To ProductAcinetobacter InfectionAcute Coronary SyndromeAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Myocardial InfarctionAcute Sinusitis

Showing 15 of 790 indications

Cefazolin brand names and reporting trend

Cefazolin is sold under the brand name Ancef In Plastic Container.

Brand names

Ancef In Plastic Container3,234

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking cefazolin with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.