21 CFR §803.42
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
You must include the following information in your report, if the information is known or should be known to you, as described in § 803.40. These types of information correspond generally to the format of Form FDA 3500A:
- (a)Patient information (Form FDA 3500A, Block A). You must submit the following:
- (b)Adverse event or product problem (Form FDA 3500A, Block B). You must submit the following:
- (1)Identification of adverse event or product problem;
- (2)Outcomes attributed to the adverse event (e.g., death or serious injury). An outcome is considered a serious injury if it is:
- (3)Date of event;
- (4)Date of this report;
- (5)Description of the event or problem, including a discussion of how the device was involved, nature of the problem, patient followup or required treatment, and any environmental conditions that may have influenced the event;
- (6)Description of relevant tests, including dates and laboratory data; and
- (7)Description of other relevant patient history, including preexisting medical conditions.
- (c)Device information (Form FDA 3500A, Block D). You must submit the following:
- (1)Brand name;
- (2)Product Code, if known, and Common Device Name;
- (3)Manufacturer name, city, and state;
- (4)Model number, catalog number, serial number, lot number, or other identifying number; expiration date; and unique device identifier (UDI) that appears on the device label or on the device package;
- (5)Operator of the device (health professional, lay user/patient, other);
- (6)Date of device implantation (month, day, year), if applicable;
- (7)Date of device explanation (month, day, year), if applicable;
- (8)Whether the device is a single-use device that was reprocessed and reused on a patient (Yes, No)?
- (9)If the device is a single-use device that was reprocessed and reused on a patient (yes to paragraph (c)(8) of this section), the name and address of the reprocessor;
- (10)Whether the device was available for evaluation, and whether the device was returned to the manufacturer, and if so, the date it was returned to the manufacturer; and
- (11)Concomitant medical products and therapy dates. (Do not report products that were used to treat the event.)
- (d)Initial reporter information (Form FDA 3500A, Block E). You must submit the following:
- (e)Importer information (Form FDA 3500A, Block F). You must submit the following:
- (1)An indication that this is an importer report (by marking the importer box on the form);
- (2)Your importer report number;
- (3)Your address;
- (4)Your contact person;
- (5)Your contact person's telephone number;
- (6)Date that you became aware of the event (month, day, year);
- (7)Type of report (initial or followup). If it is a followup report, you must include the report number of your initial report;
- (8)Date of your report (month, day, year);
- (9)Approximate age of device;
- (10)Event problem codes—patient code and device code (refer to FDA MedWatch Medical Device Reporting Code Instructions);
- (11)Whether a report was sent to us and the date it was sent (month, day, year);
- (12)Location where event occurred;
- (13)Whether a report was sent to the manufacturer and the date it was sent (month, day, year); and
- (14)Manufacturer name and address, if available.