Prescription medicine
Dextrose Brand names: Leukotrap, Cp2D, Blood
Dextrose (Blood) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1971. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 7 generic labelers.
- Generic listed
- In shortage
Check it at the source: the dextrose FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 30, 2025, Baxter Healthcare Corporation); the NDA 16694 record on Drugs@FDA; every dextrose label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of June 30, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageDextrose Injection is indicated as source of water and calories.
Forms and strengths
- 2.5 g/50ml
- 3.21 g/63ml
- 3.57 g/70ml
- 4.64 g/100ml
- 5 g/100ml
- 10 g/100ml
- 20 g/100ml
- 25 g/50ml
- 30 g/100ml
- 40 g/100ml
- 50 mg/ml
- 50 g/1000ml
Injection (solution); solution; injection; injection (solution) (concentrate).
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- January 25, 1971 Dextrose 10% In Plastic Container, Baxter Hlthcare; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 4 first October 21, 2016; 3 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 17 of which 7 under generic applications, 13 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- 5 of 56 presentations limited or unavailable updated October 6, 2026
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 19 since 2013 6 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest August 17, 2026
- FAERS reports
- 13,300 through July 30, 2026
What is dextrose used for?
From the label: indications and usageDextrose Injection is indicated as source of water and calories. Dextrose Injection is indicated as a source of water and calories.
Source: FDA drug label (DEXTROSE), Baxter Healthcare Corporation, effective June 30, 2025 (SPL set 36e9478c-5df0-4b47-b97d-de3626d7cb29), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for dextrose (Blood)?
The FDA approved the first generic dextrose on October 21, 2016. 4 generic applications are approved; 3 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.
FDA's NDC Directory lists dextrose from 7 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 13 brand labelers. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1971 earliest approval on file
- 2016 first generic approved
- 2022 to now in shortage
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Is dextrose in shortage?
The FDA Drug Shortage Database lists 5 of 56 dextrose presentations as limited or unavailable (updated October 6, 2026); the first entry was posted on January 13, 2022. 51 more presentations are on the list as available.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEXTROSE 70% IN PLASTIC CONTAINER, Injection, 70 g/100 mL (NDC 0990-7120-07) | Otsuka ICU Medical LLC | Current | October 1, 2026 |
| DEXTROSE 70% IN PLASTIC CONTAINER, Injection, 70 g/100 mL (NDC 0990-7918-19) | Otsuka ICU Medical LLC | Current | October 1, 2026 |
| Dextrose 10% In Plastic Container, Injection, 10 g/100 mL (NDC 0990-7930-02) | Otsuka ICU Medical LLC | Current | October 1, 2026 |
| Dextrose 10% In Plastic Container, Injection, 10 g/100 mL (NDC 0990-7930-03) | Otsuka ICU Medical LLC | Current | October 1, 2026 |
| Dextrose 10% In Plastic Container, Injection, 10 g/100 mL (NDC 0990-7930-09) | Otsuka ICU Medical LLC | Current | October 1, 2026 |
| Dextrose 10% In Plastic Container, Injection, 10 g/100 mL (NDC 0990-7938-19) | Otsuka ICU Medical LLC | Current | October 1, 2026 |
| Dextrose 10% In Plastic Container, Injection, 100 g/1000 mL (NDC 0338-0023-02) | Baxter Healthcare | Current | October 2, 2026 |
| Dextrose 10% In Plastic Container, Injection, 100 g/1000 mL (NDC 0338-0023-03) | Baxter Healthcare | Current | October 2, 2026 |
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
Has dextrose been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 19 recalls naming dextrose since 2013: 6 Class I (the most serious), 13 Class II, 0 Class III; 6 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 17, 2026 | Class I | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | Presence of Particulate Matter: particulate matter identified as stainless steel particles in the solution. |
| April 2, 2026 | Class II | B BRAUN MEDICAL INC | Lack of Assurance of Sterility; potential for leakage from the diaphragm port once the foil is removed. |
| March 11, 2026 | Class II | Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | Lack of Assurance of Sterility |
| November 30, 2021 | Class II | Pfizer Inc. | Lack of sterility assurance: bag has the potential to leak. |
| November 27, 2019 | Class II | Pfizer Inc. | Labeling: Incorrect or Missing Lot and/or expiration date. |
| July 6, 2017 | Class II | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | Lack of Assurance of Sterility: Bags have the potential to leak. |
| April 21, 2017 | Class I | Hospira Inc. | Presence of Particulate Matter: human hair found within an internal sample syringe. |
| March 8, 2016 | Class II | Hospira Inc. | Chemical Contamination: Potential for contamination of the products with an aromatic hydrocarbon resin. |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the dextrose label say about other medicines?
The dextrose label names 2 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Arginine | drug interactions | Drugs associated with hyponatremia include diuretics and those that cause SIADH (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), arginine vasopressin analogs, certain antiepileptic, psychotropic, and cytotoxic drugs). |
| Thiamine | warnings and precautions | Thiamine deficiency and fluid retention may also develop. To prevent these complications, monitor severely undernourished patients and slowly increase nutrient intake. |
Source: FDA drug label (DEXTROSE), Baxter Healthcare Corporation, effective June 30, 2025 (SPL set 36e9478c-5df0-4b47-b97d-de3626d7cb29), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for dextrose?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 13,300 reports that list dextrose among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 2,066 are coded as a death and 6,673 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is. Reports rose sharply in 2023 (2,044, against a median of 612 a year): FAERS counts follow reporting, which news, litigation and label changes can drive, not how often a reaction happens.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What next?
- Dextrose side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Dextrose shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other