The signs of high fever, chills, headache, vomiting, and positive Brudzinski's and Kernig's signs are most characteristic of which condition?

• A. Neuralgia
• B. Meningitis
• C. Paralysis
• D. Hydrocephalus

Answer: (B)

These signs point to meningitis because fever, headache, vomiting, and especially the meningeal signs—Brudzinski’s and Kernig’s—signal irritation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Brudzinski’s sign occurs when neck flexion causes automatic bending of the hips and knees, and Kernig’s sign shows pain and resistance when extending a flexed knee with the hip already flexed. This pattern reflects inflammation of the meninges from an infection, which is typical of meningitis.

Other conditions don’t fit as well: neuralgia is nerve-pain in a distribution rather than meningeal irritation; paralysis implies loss of movement rather than meningeal signs; hydrocephalus involves buildup of CSF with symptoms like headaches and gait changes but not specifically Brudzinski’s or Kernig’s signs.