A mother brings her lethargic, feverish baby into the emergency department. The baby is diagnosed with meningitis, and the physician does a spinal tap. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Gram stain shows many tiny gram-negative rods. What is the most probable identification of this organism?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Haemophilus influenzae is a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that commonly causes meningitis in young children. The other organisms listed are not as commonly associated with meningitis or are less likely to cause gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria in a CSF Gram stain.

A Mother Brings Her Lethargic, Feverish Baby into the Emergency