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Cefepime Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cefepime include acute kidney injury, off label use, and pyrexia, based on 18,466 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 8.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cefepime side effects

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

1
Drug Ineffective8.1%1,495
2
Acute Kidney Injury7.2%1,325
3
Off Label Use6.3%1,172
4
Pyrexia5.9%1,093
5
Febrile Neutropenia4.9%914
6
Pneumonia4.7%873
7
Sepsis3.2%598
8
Encephalopathy3.0%548
9
Neutropenia3.0%546
10
Hypotension2.8%508
11
Septic Shock2.7%498
12
Thrombocytopenia2.7%493
13
Diarrhoea2.6%487
14
Condition Aggravated2.4%452
15
Anaemia2.4%435

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

Report severity

93.9%Serious17,343 reports
57.8%Hospitalizations10,673 reports
24.2%Fatal4,475 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cefepime drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cefepime. 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
Vancomycin16.7%3,093
2
Metronidazole5.7%1,053
3
Meropenem4.9%902
4
Dexamethasone4.3%801
5
Cyclophosphamide4.0%743
6
Prednisone3.8%701
7
Daptomycin3.7%685
8
Ciprofloxacin3.5%645
9
Tacrolimus3.3%615
10
Cytarabine3.2%596
11
Azacitidine3.0%554
12
Linezolid3.0%547
13
Amphotericin-b2.9%528
14
Levofloxacin2.8%519
15
Voriconazole2.7%498

Taken alongside

1
Vancomycin24.5%4,524
2
Acetaminophen16.7%3,082
3
Furosemide12.1%2,230
4
Acyclovir11.7%2,158
5
Ondansetron10.3%1,910
6
Fluconazole9.7%1,792
7
Pantoprazole-sodium9.4%1,736
8
Meropenem9.4%1,734
9
Dexamethasone9.3%1,714
10
Metronidazole8.8%1,620
11
Levofloxacin8.5%1,563
12
Potassium-chloride7.4%1,375
13
Insulin7.4%1,373
14
Heparin7.4%1,359
15
Methylprednisolone7.0%1,297

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 cefepime side effects

40.5% of cefepime adverse event reports involve female patients and 51.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 50%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female40.5%
Male51.9%
Unknown7.6%

Age group

< 22.1%
2–114.1%
12–173.1%
18–6449.6%
65+41.1%

What is cefepime used for

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

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal InfectionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbscessAbscess BacterialAbscess JawAbscess LimbAchromobacter InfectionAcinetobacter InfectionActinomycosisAcute Coronary SyndromeAcute Kidney InjuryAcute LeukaemiaAcute Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Showing 15 of 1,075 indications

Cefepime brand names and reporting trend

Cefepime is sold under the brand name Cefepime In Plastic Container.

Brand names

Cefepime In Plastic Container70

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

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

Taking cefepime with another medication?

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