Learn the ending, get the class and the nursing point for free. 26 suffixes covering most of what gets tested. Search filters everything below.
-pril · -sartan · -one (spironolactone, eplerenone) all RAISE potassium.
Teach every one of these patients to avoid salt substitutes — they are potassium chloride.
The diuretics below (-ide, -thiazide) do the opposite and drop it. Getting this pair straight is worth several questions.
The shortcut works until it doesn't. These five are where it breaks:
-mycin is not always an aminoglycoside. gentamicin, tobramycin and amikacin are. Vancomycin is a glycopeptide, azithromycin and erythromycin are macrolides, clindamycin is a lincosamide. Reliable version: -micin and gentamicin/tobramycin/amikacin by name.
-ase is any enzyme, not just a clot buster. The thrombolytics are specifically -plase (alteplase, tenecteplase, reteplase). pancrelipase is a digestive enzyme.
-ide is far too common to mean loop diuretic (glipizide, chlorhexidine, amiloride). The loops are -semide / -anide: furosemide, torsemide, bumetanide.
-one means potassium-sparing only in spironolactone and eplerenone. prednisone, amiodarone and methadone also end in -one and have nothing to do with potassium sparing.
-azole spans three groups: antifungals (fluconazole), PPIs (omeprazole — really -prazole), and metronidazole, an antibiotic. Read the whole word.
Rule of thumb: use the suffix to narrow it down, then confirm with the drug name. Never answer on the ending alone.
Cover the middle column and say the class out loud from the ending. Then cover the right column and say the nursing point. Two passes a day beats one long session.
Tap any drug name below to open its full card.
Monitor for dry cough & angioedema; watch K⁺ (hyperkalemia); 1st-dose hypotension
Like ACE-I but NO cough; still watch K⁺; teratogenic
↓HR/BP; hold if HR <60 or SBP <90; don't stop abruptly; masks hypoglycemia
Peripheral edema, reflex tachycardia; avoid grapefruit juice
Take in evening; report muscle pain (rhabdomyolysis); monitor LFTs
Bleeding; monitor aPTT (heparin) / no routine labs (enoxaparin); antidote protamine
Massive bleeding risk; strict time window; many contraindications
Take before meals; long-term → ↓Ca/Mg/B12, C. diff, fractures
Take at bedtime; famotidine preferred (cimetidine = many interactions)
QT prolongation; ondansetron for N/V
Tendon rupture, QT prolongation, photosensitivity; avoid in children
No dairy/antacids; photosensitivity; not in <8 yr or pregnancy (teeth)
Nephrotoxic & ototoxic — monitor trough, creatinine, hearing
Ask about allergy (cross-reacts with cephalosporins); anaphylaxis risk
Cross-allergy with PCN; no alcohol (disulfiram rxn with some)
QT prolongation, GI upset; many drug interactions
Adherence critical; renal dosing
Hepatotoxic (antifungals); many interactions
↓K⁺; ototoxic if pushed fast; monitor K⁺, daily weights, I&O
↓K⁺, ↑glucose/uric acid/Ca²⁺; sulfa allergy caution
Rescue (albuterol) vs prevention (salmeterol); tachycardia, tremor
↑glucose, infection risk, ↓immunity; never stop abruptly (taper); take with food
Take with a full glass of water, sit upright 30 min (esophagitis)
Sedation, fall risk, dependence; antidote flumazenil
Watch for systemic toxicity, allergy
All 26 suffixes as originally written — scroll sideways if it runs off.
| Suffix | Drug class | Key nursing point |
|---|---|---|
| -pril | ACE inhibitors | Monitor for dry cough & angioedema; watch K⁺ (hyperkalemia); 1st-dose hypotension |
| -sartan | ARBs | Like ACE-I but NO cough; still watch K⁺; teratogenic |
| -olol | Beta blockers | ↓HR/BP; hold if HR <60 or SBP <90; don't stop abruptly; masks hypoglycemia |
| -dipine | Ca²⁺ channel blockers (dihydropyridine) | Peripheral edema, reflex tachycardia; avoid grapefruit juice |
| -statin | HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors | Take in evening; report muscle pain (rhabdomyolysis); monitor LFTs |
| -pril/-sartan/-one | RAAS + K⁺-sparing | All raise potassium — teach to avoid salt substitutes |
| -prazole | Proton pump inhibitors | Take before meals; long-term → ↓Ca/Mg/B12, C. diff, fractures |
| -tidine | H₂ receptor blockers | Take at bedtime; famotidine preferred (cimetidine = many interactions) |
| -parin | Heparins / LMWH | Bleeding; monitor aPTT (heparin) / no routine labs (enoxaparin); antidote protamine |
| -ase | Thrombolytics ("clot busters") | Massive bleeding risk; strict time window; many contraindications |
| -floxacin | Fluoroquinolones | Tendon rupture, QT prolongation, photosensitivity; avoid in children |
| -cycline | Tetracyclines | No dairy/antacids; photosensitivity; not in <8 yr or pregnancy (teeth) |
| -mycin/-micin | Aminoglycosides | Nephrotoxic & ototoxic — monitor trough, creatinine, hearing |
| -cillin | Penicillins | Ask about allergy (cross-reacts with cephalosporins); anaphylaxis risk |
| cef-/-cef | Cephalosporins | Cross-allergy with PCN; no alcohol (disulfiram rxn with some) |
| -thromycin | Macrolides | QT prolongation, GI upset; many drug interactions |
| -ide (furosem-) | Loop diuretics | ↓K⁺; ototoxic if pushed fast; monitor K⁺, daily weights, I&O |
| -thiazide | Thiazide diuretics | ↓K⁺, ↑glucose/uric acid/Ca²⁺; sulfa allergy caution |
| -terol | Beta-2 agonists (bronchodilators) | Rescue (albuterol) vs prevention (salmeterol); tachycardia, tremor |
| -sone/-olone | Corticosteroids | ↑glucose, infection risk, ↓immunity; never stop abruptly (taper); take with food |
| -vir | Antivirals | Adherence critical; renal dosing |
| -azole | Antifungals / some PPIs | Hepatotoxic (antifungals); many interactions |
| -dronate | Bisphosphonates | Take with full glass water, sit upright 30 min (esophagitis) |
| -setron | Antiemetics (5-HT₃) | QT prolongation; ondansetron for N/V |
| -pam/-lam | Benzodiazepines | Sedation, fall risk, dependence; antidote flumazenil |
| -caine | Local anesthetics | Watch for systemic toxicity, allergy |