Emmanuel J., 2

Emmanuel is a two-year-old boy and the second-born child in his family. He lives with his grandmother in a rural village because his mother has a mental health condition that prevents her from caring for him independently. His grandmother, a small-scale farmer, is responsible for supporting both Emmanuel and his mother. Despite working hard, her limited income is often insufficient to meet the family’s basic needs, including healthcare. When well, Emmanuel is a cheerful, affectionate, and playful child. Emmanuel had been in good health until he suddenly developed a high fever followed by convulsions and repeated generalized tonic-clonic seizures, each lasting approximately five minutes. Frightened by the severity of his symptoms, his grandmother rushed him to Bokoli Sub-County Hospital despite having no clear means of paying for his treatment. Emmanuel was received as an emergency and attended to immediately. Clinical assessment and laboratory investigations confirmed severe malaria, which had triggered the convulsions and seizures. Due to the life-threatening nature of his condition, he was admitted for intensive treatment, seizure control, close monitoring, and supportive care.

Emmanuel was critically ill with severe malaria accompanied by repeated febrile convulsions, placing him at risk of prolonged seizures, low oxygen levels, aspiration, brain injury, organ complications, or death. Emergency admission was necessary for seizure control, intravenous antimalarial treatment, fever management, supportive care, and close monitoring. His prognosis is guarded but favourable with prompt treatment and a good clinical response.