Master antibiotic selection, empiric therapy, and treatment of common infections. High-yield NAPLEX pharmacotherapy questions with complete rationales.
10 questions ยท ~10 minutes ยท NAPLEX Blueprint Area 1 & 2
Serious/invasive: Vancomycin (AUC/MIC guided) or Daptomycin. Skin/SSTI: TMP-SMX, doxycycline, or clindamycin. Bacteremia: Vancomycin or Daptomycin (not Daptomycin for pneumonia โ inactivated by surfactant).
No comorbidities: Amoxicillin (preferred) or Doxycycline. Comorbidities: Respiratory fluoroquinolone (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin) or Amox-clav + macrolide. Atypicals covered by macrolides and FQs.
Initial non-severe: Fidaxomicin (preferred) or Vancomycin PO. Severe: Vancomycin PO ยฑ Metronidazole IV. Recurrent: Bezlotoxumab, rifaximin taper, or FMT. Metronidazole no longer preferred for initial CDI.
Preferred: Bictegravir/TAF/FTC (Biktarvy). Alternatives: Dolutegravir-based regimens. Always 2 NRTIs + INSTI (preferred) or PI. Monitor for INSTI resistance if prior exposure.