A 43-year-old male presents to the emergency department in a stupor accompanied by his wife.She called the ambulance because her husband was difficult to awaken this morning.She reports that for the last 3 days,he has had fever and upper respiratory infection.Yesterday he had a headache.He has had no medical treatment.On physical examination,the patient demonstrates 103 fever,sluggish pupil response,and nuchal rigidity.Which of the following should the clinician attempt to elicit next?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The clinician should attempt to elicit Kernig's sign, which is a maneuver that tests for the presence of meningitis. The patient's fever, sluggish pupil response, and nuchal rigidity are also indicative of meningitis. The other options, including Hallpike maneuver (used to diagnose positional vertigo), Epley maneuver (used to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), and Babinski's sign (used to assess the function of the corticospinal tract), are not relevant to the patient's presentation.

A 43-Year-Old Male Presents to the Emergency Department in a Stupor