A nurse is assessing the lumbar puncture results of an older adult client who has bacterial meningitis. Which of the following laboratory findings should the nurse expect?

Rationale: A. Decreased WBC count: Bacterial meningitis causes an inflammatory response, leading to an increased WBC count in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), not a decrease. Elevated WBCs indicate the body is fighting infection in the central nervous system. B. Increased glucose: CSF glucose levels are typically decreased because bacteria consume glucose and impair its transport across the blood-brain barrier. The presence of leukocytes and pathogens in the CSF also contributes to glucose depletion. Elevated glucose is not characteristic of this condition. C. Clear cerebrospinal fluid: CSF in bacterial meningitis is usually cloudy or turbid due to the accumulation of white blood cells, protein, and bacteria. The change in appearance reflects the severity of the infection and is one of the classic diagnostic signs. Clear CSF would be more consistent with normal or viral findings. D. Increased protein: A hallmark of bacterial meningitis is elevated CSF protein levels due to increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier and the presence of bacterial and inflammatory proteins. This is an expected finding.