Elizabeth A., 18

Elizabeth is the firstborn in a family of four children. She lives with her parents and siblings in a two-roomed mud-walled house. Both of her parents are peasant farmers earning little to no stable income, making it difficult to meet the family’s daily needs. Despite these challenges, Elizabeth continues with her education and dreams of becoming a nurse in the future. Elizabeth is unable to clearly recall the events leading to her injury. She remembers being picked up by a friend and boarding a motorcycle together. While on their journey, they were reportedly attacked by two unknown assailants. After the attack, she lost consciousness and only regained awareness while in hospital. According to her father, he received a call from the police requesting him to report to a nearby police station, where he was informed that his daughter had been found unconscious by the roadside and rushed to hospital by well-wishers. He immediately went to confirm her identity at the hospital. Due to the seriousness of her injuries, Elizabeth was referred to Siaya County Referral Hospital for a CT scan and specialized medical management.

Elizabeth was brought with headache, confusion and incoherent speech. She had a mild headache injury secondary to assault, her CT scan report indicated bilateral frontal lobe haemorrhagic contusion with acute stress disorder. She was administered for conservative management of the head injury, the mental health team also reviewed her after recovery from the head injury and while in the ward she was administered pcm, ceftriaxone,flagyl, escitoloprom, midozolam , alprazalom among other drugs. She was also taken for psychosocial therapy before she she was eventually discharged on orals. A follow up mental health clinic was booked for her for review after a week.

The prognosis for an 18-year-old who suffered from bilateral frontal lobe haemorrhagic contusion and acute stress disorder (ASD) is complex, involving both physical recovery and significant long-term cognitive and emotional management. While the young age (18) is a strong positive indicator for neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to rewire itself—the bilateral nature of the injury and the added psychological trauma of an assault create specific challenges. Elizabeth responded well to medication, was also reviewed by the mental health team and responded to medication, and is expected to make a good recovery.