Crucial Exams

BCEN CEN Practice Question

A 45-year-old man arrives at the emergency department complaining of sudden, severe headache, fever, nausea, and confusion. Vital signs are: temperature 39.2 °C (102.6 °F), heart rate 112 beats/min, blood pressure 132/78 mm Hg, respiratory rate 24/min, and SpO₂ 98 % on room air. Examination reveals nuchal rigidity; passive neck flexion produces involuntary flexion of the knees and hips (positive Brudzinski sign). Two sets of blood cultures are obtained at the bedside. What is the single most important next intervention to reduce this patient's morbidity and mortality?

  • Elevate the head of the bed to 30 degrees

  • Prepare the patient for immediate lumbar puncture

  • Begin empiric broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics without delay

  • Obtain an emergent non-contrast head CT before giving any therapy

BCEN CEN
Neurological Emergencies
Your Score:
Settings & Objectives
Random Mixed
Questions are selected randomly from all chosen topics, with a preference for those you haven’t seen before. You may see several questions from the same objective or domain in a row.
Rotate by Objective
Questions cycle through each objective or domain in turn, helping you avoid long streaks of questions from the same area. You may see some repeat questions, but the distribution will be more balanced across topics.

Check or uncheck an objective to set which questions you will receive.

Wipe Score
Bash, the Crucial Exams Chat Bot
AI Bot