Understanding the API Results

For search queries (such as: https://api.fda.gov/device/classification.json?search=receivedate:[20040101+TO+20081231]&limit=1), the results section includes matching Device Adverse Event reports returned by the API.

Each adverse event report consists of these major sections:

• Header: General information about the adverse event.
• Patient Information: Details on the patient who experienced the event, such as age, weight, sex, etc.
• Device: Information on the devices utilized during the time in which the event was experienced.
• Reactions: Information on the reactions experienced by the patient.

The order of these fields in the results can and will vary...

For count queries (such as: https://api.fda.gov/device/510k.json?count=openfda.fei_number), the results section will look something like the following:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "term": "DRUG INEFFECTIVE",
      "count": 32584
    },
    {
      "term": "NAUSEA",
      "count": 27541
    },
    {
      "term": "FATIGUE",
      "count": 23341
    }
  ]
}