Khiana Smith Returns to ICU in Bali With Meningitis as Brain Swelling Delays Flight Home
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 6
Khiana Smith Returns to ICU in Bali With Meningitis as Brain Swelling Delays Flight Home
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 6
Summary
23-year-old Australian fitness coach Khiana Smith said she returned to intensive care in Bali after head pain, light sensitivity and slurred speech persisted, with brain swelling preventing her from flying home.
Smith said the illness began with the “worst headache” of her life, followed by trouble standing and worsening symptoms overnight before an ambulance took her to hospital, where doctors diagnosed meningitis.
Doctors initially did not know whether the infection was bacterial or viral, so Smith said she was treated for bacterial meningitis as a precaution; she also reported memory loss.
Emergency physician Alfred Joshua said severe headache, light sensitivity, speech changes and difficulty walking are warning signs that need urgent care because bacterial meningitis can worsen within hours.
Smith’s case also underscored travel-preparedness risks abroad, with her mother saying travel insurance covered hospital costs and Joshua urging travelers to consider vaccination and medical-evacuation coverage.