meropenem Side Effects
Also known as: Merrem
Analysis of 30,400 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 1999 to 2025.
Total Reports
30,400
Death-Related
9,111
30.0% of reports
Hospitalizations
16,201
53.3% 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 9,111 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 2,149 |
| MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 1,027 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 1,010 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 941 |
| PNEUMONIA | 768 |
| SEPSIS | 755 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 653 |
| DEATH | 625 |
| PYREXIA | 599 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 468 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 383 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 353 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 350 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 345 |
| DIARRHOEA | 335 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE FOR UNAPPROVED INDICATION | 322 |
| HYPOTENSION | 317 |
| DRUG RESISTANCE | 314 |
| FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 314 |
| ANAEMIA | 292 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 16,201 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 2,310 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 1,624 |
| PYREXIA | 1,469 |
| PNEUMONIA | 1,015 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 857 |
| SEPTIC SHOCK | 856 |
| SEPSIS | 855 |
| FEBRILE NEUTROPENIA | 810 |
| DIARRHOEA | 794 |
| RESPIRATORY FAILURE | 764 |
| MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 758 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 692 |
| THROMBOCYTOPENIA | 661 |
| ANAEMIA | 632 |
| NEUTROPENIA | 582 |
| DYSPNOEA | 577 |
| HYPOTENSION | 553 |
| DRUG INTERACTION | 513 |
| DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS | 512 |
| VOMITING | 485 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About meropenem Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 30,400 voluntary reports linked to meropenem and its brand equivalents (Merrem), spanning 1999 through 2025. Of those, 9,111 (30.0%) listed death as an outcome and 16,201 (53.3%) 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, 43% were female and 56% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 8,170 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 4,221 submissions, followed by off label use and pyrexia.
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.