Meningitis

Prevalence Causes Clinical features Differential Diagnosis Investigations Therapy Prevention Prognosis

Clinical features Ask about fever b nausea and vomiting b headache b neck stiffness b photophobia d any preadmission antibiotics a Look for fever b neck stiffness b altered mental state b focal neurological signs a b  photophobia d raised intracranial pressure d rash b frank bleeding a Kernig's sign b Positive if the patient's headache worsens on flexing the patient's legs at the hip and extending them at the knees. jolt accentuation b Positive if the patient's headache worsens on rotating the head horizontally 2 or 3 times.

Expiry date: January 2003
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Authors	RS   Phillips , C   Ball
Reviewer	B   Davis
CAT Writers	C   Ball , RS   Phillips , C   Wotton