Negative predictive values and likelihood ratios for clinical signs of meningitis
| Clinical sign | Negative predictive values* | Likelihood ratios of negative result* |
| Nuchal rigidity | 0.62 to 0.80 | 0.56 to 0.74 |
| Kernig’s sign | 0.51 | 0.51 to 0.56 |
| Brudzinski’s sign | 0.58 | 0.46 to 0.61 |
A quantitative summary of how effectively the absence of each clinical sign alone rules out a diagnosis of meningitis.
↵*Predictive values and likelihood ratios derived from studies summarised in table 1.2 4–7