cefepime Side Effects
Also known as: Maxipime
Analysis of 13,667 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
13,667
Death-Related
2,974
21.8% of reports
Hospitalizations
8,120
59.4% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 2,974 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 522 |
| DEATH | 300 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 275 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 273 |
| SEPSIS | 266 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 265 |
| PNEUMONIA | 262 |
| MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 240 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 199 |
| PYREXIA | 189 |
| HYPOTENSION | 188 |
| FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 167 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 166 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 147 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 133 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 130 |
| HYPOXIA | 114 |
| ENCEPHALOPATHY | 111 |
| DYSPNOEA | 106 |
| NEUTROPENIA | 104 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 8,120 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 891 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 707 |
| PYREXIA | 653 |
| FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 541 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 536 |
| PNEUMONIA | 526 |
| HYPOTENSION | 394 |
| SEPSIS | 373 |
| ENCEPHALOPATHY | 344 |
| NEUTROPENIA | 328 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 326 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 311 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 306 |
| DIARRHOEA | 300 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 288 |
| CONFUSIONAL STATE | 274 |
| DYSPNOEA | 268 |
| ANAEMIA | 256 |
| NAUSEA | 252 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 229 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About cefepime Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 13,667 voluntary reports linked to cefepime and its brand equivalents (Maxipime), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 2,974 (21.8%) listed death as an outcome and 8,120 (59.4%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 44% were female and 55% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 3,924 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 1,387 submissions, followed by acute kidney injury and off label use.
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.