Cefdinir
/api/v1/drug/cefdinirMechanism of action
Sourced from openFDAMechanism-of-action class: Enzyme Inhibitors.
Indications
Sourced from openFDA- To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of cefdinir and other antibacterial drugs, cefdinir should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy.
Contraindications
Sourced from openFDA- Cefdinir is contraindicated in patients with known allergy to the cephalosporin class of antibiotics.contraindicated
Dosage & administration
Sourced from openFDA(see INDICATIONS AND USAGE for Indicated Pathogens) The recommended dosage and duration of treatment for infections in pediatric patients are described in the following chart; the total daily dose for all infections is 14 mg/kg, up to a maximum dose of 600 mg per day. Once-daily dosing for 10 days is as effective as BID dosing. Once-daily dosing has not been studied in skin infections; therefore, cefdinir for oral suspension should be administered twice daily in this infection. Cefdinir for oral suspension may be administered without regard to meals. Pediatric Patients (Age 6 Months Through 12 Years) Type of Infection Dosage Duration Acute Bacterial Otitis Media 7 mg/kg q12h or 14 mg/kg q24h 5 to 10 days 10 days Acute Maxillary Sinusitis 7 mg/kg q12h or 14 mg/kg q24h 10 days 10 days Pharyngitis/Tonsillitis 7 mg/kg q12h or 14 mg/kg q24h 5 to 10 days 10 days Uncomplicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections 7 mg/kg q12h 10 days CEFDINIR FOR ORAL SUSPENSION PEDIATRIC DOSAGE CHART a Pediatric patients who weigh ≥ 43 kg should receive the maximum daily dose of 600 mg. Weight 125 mg/5 mL 250 mg/5 mL 9 kg/20 lbs 2.5 mL q12h or 5 mL q24h Use 125 mg/5 mL product 18 kg/40 lbs 5 mL q12h or 10 mL q24h 2.5 mL q12h or 5 mL q24h 27 kg/60 lbs 7.5 mL q12h or 15 mL q24h 3.75 mL q12h or 7.5 mL q24h 36 kg/80 lbs 10 mL q12h or 20 mL q24h 5 mL q12h or 10 mL q24h ≥ 43 kg a /95 lbs 12 mL q12h or 24 mL q24h 6 mL q12h or 12 mL q24h Patients With Renal Insufficiency For adult patients with creatinine clearance <30 mL/min, the dose of cefdinir should be 300 mg given once daily.
Warnings & precautions
Sourced from openFDABEFORE THERAPY WITH CEFDINIR IS INSTITUTED, CAREFUL INQUIRY SHOULD BE MADE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PATIENT HAS HAD PREVIOUS HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS TO CEFDINIR, OTHER CEPHALOSPORINS, PENICILLINS, OR OTHER DRUGS. IF CEFDINIR IS TO BE GIVEN TO PENICILLIN-SENSITIVE PATIENTS, CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED BECAUSE CROSS-HYPERSENSITIVITY AMONG β-LACTAM ANTIBIOTICS HAS BEEN CLEARLY DOCUMENTED AND MAY OCCUR IN UP TO 10% OF PATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF PENICILLIN ALLERGY. IF AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO CEFDINIR OCCURS, THE DRUG SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED. SERIOUS ACUTE HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS MAY REQUIRE TREATMENT WITH EPINEPHRINE AND OTHER EMERGENCY MEASURES, INCLUDING OXYGEN, INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS, INTRAVENOUS ANTIHISTAMINES, CORTICOSTEROIDS, PRESSOR AMINES, AND AIRWAY MANAGEMENT, AS CLINICALLY INDICATED. Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents, including cefdinir, and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora of the colon leading to overgrowth of C. difficile. C. difficile produces toxins A and B which contribute to the development of CDAD. Hypertoxin producing strains of C. difficile cause increased morbidity and mortality, as these infections can be refractory to antimicrobial therapy and may require colectomy. CDAD must be considered in all patients who present with diarrhea following antibacterial use.
Adverse reactions
Sourced from openFDAADVERSE EVENTS Clinical Trials - Cefdinir Capsules (Adult and Adolescent Patients) In clinical trials, 5093 adult and adolescent patients (3841 U.S. and 1252 non-U.S.) were treated with the recommended dose of cefdinir capsules (600 mg/day). Most adverse events were mild and self-limiting. No deaths or permanent disabilities were attributed to cefdinir. One hundred forty-seven of 5093 (3%) patients discontinued medication due to adverse events thought by the investigators to be possibly, probably, or definitely associated with cefdinir therapy. The discontinuations were primarily for gastrointestinal disturbances, usually diarrhea or nausea. Nineteen of 5093 (0.4%) patients were discontinued due to rash thought related to cefdinir administration. In the U.S., the following adverse events were thought by investigators to be possibly, probably, or definitely related to cefdinir capsules in multiple-dose clinical trials (N = 3841 cefdinir-treated patients): ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH CEFDINIR CAPSULES U.S.
Use in specific populations
Sourced from openFDAPregnancy Teratogenic Effects Pregnancy Category B Cefdinir was not teratogenic in rats at oral doses up to 1000 mg/kg/day (70 times the human dose based on mg/kg/day, 11 times based on mg/m 2 /day) or in rabbits at oral doses up to 10 mg/kg/day (0.7 times the human dose based on mg/kg/day, 0.23 times based on mg/m 2 /day). Maternal toxicity (decreased body weight gain) was observed in rabbits at the maximum tolerated dose of 10 mg/kg/day without adverse effects on offspring. Decreased body weight occurred in rat fetuses at ≥100 mg/kg/day, and in rat offspring at ≥32 mg/kg/day. No effects were observed on maternal reproductive parameters or offspring survival, development, behavior, or reproductive function. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
Overdosage
Sourced from openFDAInformation on cefdinir overdosage in humans is not available. In acute rodent toxicity studies, a single oral 5600 mg/kg dose produced no adverse effects. Toxic signs and symptoms following overdosage with other β-lactam antibiotics have included nausea, vomiting, epigastric distress, diarrhea, and convulsions. Hemodialysis removes cefdinir from the body. This may be useful in the event of a serious toxic reaction from overdosage, particularly if renal function is compromised.
Approval history
Sourced from openFDA- May 19, 2006ANDAANDA065264Lupin
- May 31, 2006ANDAANDA065259Lupin
- Apr 6, 2007ANDAANDA065330Chartwell Rx
- May 4, 2007ANDAANDA065332Teva Pharms
- May 9, 2007ANDAANDA065368Teva Pharms
- Dec 14, 2007ANDAANDA065473Aurobindo Pharma
- Jan 7, 2008ANDAANDA065434Aurobindo Pharma
- Feb 19, 2021ANDAANDA210220Alkem Labs Ltd
FAERS reports
- 1Diarrhoea5196.9%
- 2Chronic Kidney Disease4856.5%
- 3Pneumonia4766.4%
- 4Fatigue4506.0%
- 5Nausea3885.2%
- 6Pain3735.0%
- 7Renal Failure3624.8%
- 8Sinusitis3554.7%
- 9Acute Kidney Injury3244.3%
- 10Headache3244.3%
- 11Dyspnoea3214.3%
- 12Urinary Tract Infection2984.0%
- 13Death2883.8%
- 14Pyrexia2833.8%
- 15Rash2803.7%
Literature
Recent PubMed references pinned to Cefdinir as a MeSH major topic. Citations link to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Cefdinir binding to a class A β-lactamase revealed by serial cryo-crystallography.Acta crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology · 2026 · Gore G, Prester A, Bartels K, et al.PMID 42158994DOI 10.1107/S2059798326003992
- Assessing the Impact of Mesoporous, Co-Amorphous, and Polymer-Based Systems on Cefdinir's Dissolution and Stability Via Predictive Modeling.British journal of biomedical science · 2026 · Al Nuss R, Al Tahan MA, El-Zein H, et al.PMID 41767179DOI 10.3389/bjbs.2026.15242
- Bioequivalence of cefdinir dispersible tablets in healthy Chinese subjects under fasting and fed conditions: a single-centred, randomized, open, single-dose, two-preparation, two-cycle, two-sequence, double-crossover trial.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025 · Mao N, Xu Z, Su J, et al.PMID 39680100DOI 10.1007/s00210-024-03701-8
- Decreasing the Use of Cefdinir for Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections in a Rural Health Care System: A Quasi-experimental Study.Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society · 2024 · Berglund K, Whitfield PL, Gabor RM, et al.PMID 39506891DOI 10.1093/jpids/piae114
- Formulation and optimization of surfactant-modified chitosan nanoparticles loaded with cefdinir for novel topical drug delivery: Elevating wound healing efficacy with enhanced antibacterial properties.International journal of pharmaceutics · 2024 · Badie MA, Teaima MH, El-Nabarawi MA, et al.PMID 39332464DOI 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124763
- Cefdinir Stool.The Journal of pediatrics · 2024 · D'Agrosa A, Rajeev B, Shank E, et al.PMID 38823626DOI 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114129
- Nanomaterial-assisted molecularly imprinted polymer strategies for highly sensitive and selective determination of cefdinir and its validation using computational approach.Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis · 2024 · Unal MAPMID 38759322DOI 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116209
- Evaluation of a Clinical Decision Support System and an Automated Electronic Health Record Alert on Outpatient Prescribing of Cefdinir.Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society · 2024 · Courtney A, Cook G, Silio M, et al.PMID 38520324DOI 10.1093/jpids/piae026
Clinical trials
The 10 most recently updated of 32 ClinicalTrials.gov registrations naming Cefdinir as an intervention. Registration is not evidence of efficacy or safety — reference crosswalk only.
- Optimizing the Diagnostic Approach to Cephalosporin Allergy TestingRecruiting · Phase 2 · Interventional · 300 enrolled · Massachusetts General HospitalNCT06406114updated 2026-05-26
- Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Safety Profile of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children Per Standard of Care (POPS)Recruiting · Observational · 5,000 enrolled · Duke UniversityNCT04278404updated 2026-04-06
- Cefdinir for Oral Suspension 250 mg/5mL, FastingCompleted · Phase 1 · Interventional · 32 enrolled · Teva Pharmaceuticals USANCT00834574updated 2024-08-20
- Cefdinir Capsules 300 mg, FastingCompleted · Phase 1 · Interventional · 32 enrolled · Teva Pharmaceuticals USANCT00835484updated 2024-08-20
- Cefdinir Capsules 300 mg, Non-fastingCompleted · Phase 1 · Interventional · 32 enrolled · Teva Pharmaceuticals USANCT00834535updated 2024-08-20
- Cefdinir for Oral Suspension 250 mg/5mL, Non-fastingCompleted · Phase 1 · Interventional · 32 enrolled · Teva Pharmaceuticals USANCT00835549updated 2024-08-20
- Single Dose Aminoglycosides for Acute Uncomplicated Cystitis in the Emergency Department SettingUnknown · Phase 2 · Interventional · 160 enrolled · Mercy Health OhioNCT05702762updated 2023-01-27
- Patients Response to Early Switch To Oral:Osteomyelitis StudyTerminated · Early phase 1 · Interventional · 11 enrolled · Julio RamirezNCT02099240updated 2021-04-06
- Trial to Evaluate Beta-Lactam Antimicrobial Therapy of Community Acquired Pneumonia in ChildrenCompleted · Phase 4 · Interventional · 385 enrolled · National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)NCT02891915updated 2021-02-03
- Safety and Efficacy of Cefecin Tab. in Patients With Acute SinusitisTerminated · Phase 4 · Interventional · 284 enrolled · Korea United Pharm. Inc.NCT04664803updated 2020-12-11
Structural analogs
Ranked by 2D fingerprint (Tanimoto) similarity over PubChem structures. Structural proximity only — not a claim of therapeutic equivalence.
Frequently asked questions
- How does Cefdinir work?
- Mechanism-of-action class: Enzyme Inhibitors.
- What is Cefdinir used for?
- According to FDA labeling, Cefdinir carries indications including: To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of cefdinir and other antibacterial drugs, cefdinir should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy.. This is a reference summary of labeled uses, not medical advice or a treatment recommendation.
- What class of drug is Cefdinir?
- Cefdinir is classified as Third-generation cephalosporins, Cephalosporin Antibacterial, Enzyme Inhibitors, Decreased Cell Wall Synthesis & Repair.
- What are the contraindications for Cefdinir?
- Cefdinir labeling lists contraindications including: Cefdinir is contraindicated in patients with known allergy to the cephalosporin class of antibiotics.. Always consult the full prescribing information and a clinician.
cefdinir is illustrative MVP content compiled from public sources. pharmacopeia is for educational and informational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.