A college student is examined at the emergency department; he is disoriented with a fever, intense headache, stiff neck, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. His friends say that he has been sick for about 2 days and that his condition worsened over the last 3 hours. The serum electrolytes are normal, but the patient's white blood count is 12,000 cells/L. What test should the physician order next?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The clinical presentation of the patient is suspicious for meningitis, a serious infection of the central nervous system. The most appropriate test to confirm the diagnosis is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, which includes Gram stain and culture. This test will help to identify the causative microorganism and guide specific antibiotic therapy. Urinalysis, stool culture, and blood cultures may be helpful in identifying an alternative infectious etiology, but they are not the primary diagnostic test for meningitis.

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