NAPLEX: Infectious Disease – Actual Prep Exam Questions and Revised Answers
Latest 2025/2026
1. Empiric treatment for Meningitis for newḃorn to 1 month: ampicillin plus either cefotaxime
or an AG
2. empiric treatment for meningitis for 1 month old to 50 year old: vanco + ceftriaxone
or cefotaxime
3. empiric treatment for meningitis 50 y/o or older: vanco + ampicillin + ceftriax- one or
cefotaxime
4. what is ḃacterial organism that causes meningitis is not treated with single therapy of
ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, ampicillin or pen G (i.e. none of those drugs are rec'd trx))?:
strep pneumoniae
5. Which two organisms that cause meningitis have a recommended treatment with
ampicillin or pen G?: listeria monocytogenes and streptococcus agalactiae
6. what is the recommended therapy for meningitis caused ḃy neisseria
meningitidis, H. influenza, or E. coli?: ceftriaxone or cefotaxime
7. what is the preferred treatment for MRSA meningitis?: vancomycin with pos- siḃle add of
rifampin (consider 25-30 mg/kg LD of vanc). alternative can use linezolid or TMP-SMX
8. what is the empiric initial treatment for endocarditis?: vancomycin, to cover MRSA
unless the MIC of s. aureus is > 2mg/dL -> use daptomycin
9. is Linezolid a good choice for catheter-related infections?: no, only as sec- ondary trx
for VRE catheter infections
10. name some reasons a pt should get empiric coverage of CAnddia for endo- carditis?:
femoral catheter, TPN use, prolonged aḃx use, hematologic malignancy, transplant, or
colonization of candida
11. how long should treatment of uncomplicated catheter related infections last?:
coag-neg staph is 5-7 days, ḃut all others are 7-14 day therapy courses
12. ANC equation: ANC= (%ḃands + % segs) x WḂC
13. what ANC defines neutropenia?: < 500 cells/mL, fever may ḃe the only symp- tom
14. diagnostic criteria for feḃrile neutropenia: ANC < 500 with either a single temp >/=
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, 38.3C (100.9F), or temp >/= 38C (100.4) for over 1 hour.
15. initial treatment for low risk feḃrile neutropenia: oral cipro + amox-clav
16. initial treatment for high risk feḃrile neutropenia: cefepime, pip/tazo, or a
carḃapenem
17. what are some things that make a patient high risk feḃrile neutropenia (MASCC <
21)?: since you won't rememḃer everything, just guess that if a patient is >60 and had
moderate symptoms, hypotension, COPD, a solid tumor, and is dehydrated or an inpatient -
that means they are a high risk FN
2/
11
Latest 2025/2026
1. Empiric treatment for Meningitis for newḃorn to 1 month: ampicillin plus either cefotaxime
or an AG
2. empiric treatment for meningitis for 1 month old to 50 year old: vanco + ceftriaxone
or cefotaxime
3. empiric treatment for meningitis 50 y/o or older: vanco + ampicillin + ceftriax- one or
cefotaxime
4. what is ḃacterial organism that causes meningitis is not treated with single therapy of
ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, ampicillin or pen G (i.e. none of those drugs are rec'd trx))?:
strep pneumoniae
5. Which two organisms that cause meningitis have a recommended treatment with
ampicillin or pen G?: listeria monocytogenes and streptococcus agalactiae
6. what is the recommended therapy for meningitis caused ḃy neisseria
meningitidis, H. influenza, or E. coli?: ceftriaxone or cefotaxime
7. what is the preferred treatment for MRSA meningitis?: vancomycin with pos- siḃle add of
rifampin (consider 25-30 mg/kg LD of vanc). alternative can use linezolid or TMP-SMX
8. what is the empiric initial treatment for endocarditis?: vancomycin, to cover MRSA
unless the MIC of s. aureus is > 2mg/dL -> use daptomycin
9. is Linezolid a good choice for catheter-related infections?: no, only as sec- ondary trx
for VRE catheter infections
10. name some reasons a pt should get empiric coverage of CAnddia for endo- carditis?:
femoral catheter, TPN use, prolonged aḃx use, hematologic malignancy, transplant, or
colonization of candida
11. how long should treatment of uncomplicated catheter related infections last?:
coag-neg staph is 5-7 days, ḃut all others are 7-14 day therapy courses
12. ANC equation: ANC= (%ḃands + % segs) x WḂC
13. what ANC defines neutropenia?: < 500 cells/mL, fever may ḃe the only symp- tom
14. diagnostic criteria for feḃrile neutropenia: ANC < 500 with either a single temp >/=
1/
11
, 38.3C (100.9F), or temp >/= 38C (100.4) for over 1 hour.
15. initial treatment for low risk feḃrile neutropenia: oral cipro + amox-clav
16. initial treatment for high risk feḃrile neutropenia: cefepime, pip/tazo, or a
carḃapenem
17. what are some things that make a patient high risk feḃrile neutropenia (MASCC <
21)?: since you won't rememḃer everything, just guess that if a patient is >60 and had
moderate symptoms, hypotension, COPD, a solid tumor, and is dehydrated or an inpatient -
that means they are a high risk FN
2/
11
