At first blush, this would seem like an inappropriate question, especially if the interviewer were not a physician. Essentially, however, it seeks out your 'panic' criteria for acting in the best interests of the patient. Here, specifically, the morbidity and mortality of meningitis or meningococcemia is so high that all patients with even a couple of hallmark signs or symptoms should be treated immediately until a definitive diagnosis is available via culture. Most deaths from this come from misdiagnosing it as a simple viral illness, causing a delay in an appropriate treatment. These are high profile deaths that will affect a group's or an institution's reputation, not to mention the bottom line, from a legal defense or settlement. Your answer is a barometer of caution.