Dr. Loren suspects that her patient has meningitis. What is the best course of action?

Meningitis is an infection or inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. A spinal tap (lumbar puncture) can test the cerebrospinal fluid for signs of meningitis, and bacterial meningitis is treated promptly with antibiotics. Therefore, the best choice is performing a spinal tap and treating with an antibiotic.

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