NCLEX Drug Match Quiz
How to drill this
Say the answer before you open the card. If you cannot produce it in about three seconds you do not know it yet — recognising the right answer when you see it is a much weaker state than being able to state it, and the harder items on the exam are written to tell those two apart.
Run it a second time in reverse: read the answer and name a drug it fits. Reverse recall is what makes a class transferable to a drug you have never seen.
Prompt types in this set: class, parameter, side effect, antidote, administration, nursing, teaching.
The 50 prompts
Furosemide class
Loop diuretic – watch potassium
Digoxin parameter
Hold if apical pulse under 60
Metoprolol parameter
Hold if heart rate under 60 or systolic under 100
Lisinopril side effect
Dry cough and angioedema
Warfarin antidote
Reversed by vitamin K
Heparin antidote
Reversed by protamine sulfate
Acetaminophen antidote
Reversed by acetylcysteine
Morphine antidote
Reversed by naloxone
Lorazepam antidote
Reversed by flumazenil
Magnesium sulfate antidote
Reversed by calcium gluconate
Methotrexate antidote
Rescued by leucovorin
Digoxin toxicity antidote
Treated with digoxin immune Fab
Atorvastatin side effect
Report muscle pain with dark urine
Amiodarone side effect
Pulmonary fibrosis and thyroid dysfunction
Vancomycin administration
Infuse over at least 60 minutes
Gentamicin side effect
Nephrotoxic and ototoxic
Ciprofloxacin side effect
Tendon rupture risk
Isoniazid nursing
Give pyridoxine to prevent neuropathy
Rifampin side effect
Turns body fluids orange
Metronidazole teaching
No alcohol during or for three days after
Albuterol class
Rescue bronchodilator – use before the steroid inhaler
Fluticasone inhaler teaching
Rinse the mouth after every dose
Montelukast side effect
Report mood or behaviour change
Phenytoin side effect
Gingival hyperplasia – meticulous oral care
Lithium teaching
Keep sodium and fluid intake steady
Haloperidol side effect
Fever with rigidity means neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Clozapine nursing
Monitor absolute neutrophil count
Sertraline teaching
Full effect takes four to six weeks
Phenelzine teaching
Avoid tyramine-containing foods
Prednisone teaching
Never stop abruptly – taper
Levothyroxine teaching
Take on an empty stomach in the morning
Metformin nursing
Hold around iodinated contrast studies
Regular insulin administration
The only insulin given intravenously
Insulin glargine administration
No pronounced peak – never mixed
Alendronate teaching
Stay upright for 30 minutes after the dose
Allopurinol teaching
Encourage 2 to 3 litres of fluid daily
Omeprazole teaching
Take before the first meal of the day
Ondansetron nursing
Monitor the QT interval
Lactulose nursing
Goal is two to three soft stools a day
Potassium chloride administration
Never give IV push – always dilute and pump
Nitroglycerin teaching
Never combine with erectile dysfunction drugs
Adenosine administration
Rapid IV push over 1 to 2 seconds with a fast flush
Enoxaparin administration
Do not expel the air bubble or massage the site
Oxytocin parameter
Stop for contractions closer than every two minutes
Methylergonovine parameter
Contraindicated in hypertension
Cyclosporine teaching
Avoid grapefruit juice and live vaccines
Spironolactone teaching
Avoid salt substitutes – they are potassium
Amlodipine side effect
Peripheral oedema and avoid grapefruit
Propylthiouracil side effect
Report sore throat and fever immediately
Desmopressin nursing
Monitor sodium and daily weight
Full answer key
| Drug | Prompt | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Furosemide | class | Loop diuretic – watch potassium |
| Digoxin | parameter | Hold if apical pulse under 60 |
| Metoprolol | parameter | Hold if heart rate under 60 or systolic under 100 |
| Lisinopril | side effect | Dry cough and angioedema |
| Warfarin | antidote | Reversed by vitamin K |
| Heparin | antidote | Reversed by protamine sulfate |
| Acetaminophen | antidote | Reversed by acetylcysteine |
| Morphine | antidote | Reversed by naloxone |
| Lorazepam | antidote | Reversed by flumazenil |
| Magnesium sulfate | antidote | Reversed by calcium gluconate |
| Methotrexate | antidote | Rescued by leucovorin |
| Digoxin toxicity | antidote | Treated with digoxin immune Fab |
| Atorvastatin | side effect | Report muscle pain with dark urine |
| Amiodarone | side effect | Pulmonary fibrosis and thyroid dysfunction |
| Vancomycin | administration | Infuse over at least 60 minutes |
| Gentamicin | side effect | Nephrotoxic and ototoxic |
| Ciprofloxacin | side effect | Tendon rupture risk |
| Isoniazid | nursing | Give pyridoxine to prevent neuropathy |
| Rifampin | side effect | Turns body fluids orange |
| Metronidazole | teaching | No alcohol during or for three days after |
| Albuterol | class | Rescue bronchodilator – use before the steroid inhaler |
| Fluticasone inhaler | teaching | Rinse the mouth after every dose |
| Montelukast | side effect | Report mood or behaviour change |
| Phenytoin | side effect | Gingival hyperplasia – meticulous oral care |
| Lithium | teaching | Keep sodium and fluid intake steady |
| Haloperidol | side effect | Fever with rigidity means neuroleptic malignant syndrome |
| Clozapine | nursing | Monitor absolute neutrophil count |
| Sertraline | teaching | Full effect takes four to six weeks |
| Phenelzine | teaching | Avoid tyramine-containing foods |
| Prednisone | teaching | Never stop abruptly – taper |
| Levothyroxine | teaching | Take on an empty stomach in the morning |
| Metformin | nursing | Hold around iodinated contrast studies |
| Regular insulin | administration | The only insulin given intravenously |
| Insulin glargine | administration | No pronounced peak – never mixed |
| Alendronate | teaching | Stay upright for 30 minutes after the dose |
| Allopurinol | teaching | Encourage 2 to 3 litres of fluid daily |
| Omeprazole | teaching | Take before the first meal of the day |
| Ondansetron | nursing | Monitor the QT interval |
| Lactulose | nursing | Goal is two to three soft stools a day |
| Potassium chloride | administration | Never give IV push – always dilute and pump |
| Nitroglycerin | teaching | Never combine with erectile dysfunction drugs |
| Adenosine | administration | Rapid IV push over 1 to 2 seconds with a fast flush |
| Enoxaparin | administration | Do not expel the air bubble or massage the site |
| Oxytocin | parameter | Stop for contractions closer than every two minutes |
| Methylergonovine | parameter | Contraindicated in hypertension |
| Cyclosporine | teaching | Avoid grapefruit juice and live vaccines |
| Spironolactone | teaching | Avoid salt substitutes – they are potassium |
| Amlodipine | side effect | Peripheral oedema and avoid grapefruit |
| Propylthiouracil | side effect | Report sore throat and fever immediately |
| Desmopressin | nursing | Monitor sodium and daily weight |
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