Movie Review: Contagion

1. What is the story all about?

Contagion was a 2011 film about a fictitious pandemic of a virus called MEV-1 that

destroys between 25 and 30 per cent of everyone it has infected. This virus caused death, which

happened so suddenly that the disease could not be worked out or treated by physicians and

healthcare professionals. All they knew it was a virus but were unable to determine what kind of

virus it was. It is a virus that could easily mutate and can infect large numbers of people. The virus

was also brought out from other parts of the world. In the movie, The plot begins with Beth Emhoff

(Paltrow) coughing at an airport in Chicago, after a business trip to Hong Kong on her way home to

Minneapolis. She starts having hallucinations and foams at the mouth before long. Meanwhile,

other people around the world are succumbing to exactly the same symptoms – in Tokyo, London

and Hong Kong. Then the next scenes portrayed how the virus spread quickly, infecting other

people throughout the country, passing on to another. The film then monitors the virus spread until

it transforms into a killer pandemic. After seeing the very beginning of the disease the film switches

to the disease side of the epidemiology. A series of carefully focused shots and strategically placed

scenes emphasise that everything in the world is a potential vector for the fatal virus: doorknobs,

credit cards, empty glasses, napkins, a bowl of peanuts at a bar, airplanes, handshakes, sex. With

millions infected worldwide, quarantines are being imposed and people are growing scared to go

anywhere or interact with anyone. In Atlanta , Georgia and the World Health Organization in

Geneva , Switzerland, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention work nonstop to identify the

origin of the disease, create a vaccine and keep the public informed but not panicked. But they

can't stop the protests or looting — nor can they stop the dishonest freelance journalist Alistair

Krumwiede (Law) from spreading lies online about a bogus cure made from forsythia in the

flowering plant.
2. What are the nursing responsibilities:

I. PRE

Nursing Assessment

Assessment of a patient suspected should include:

 Travel history. Health care providers should obtain a detailed travel history for patients being

evaluated with fever and acute respiratory illness.

 Physical examination. Patients who have fever, cough, and shortness of breath and who has

traveled to the country where the virus originate recently must be placed under isolation

immediately.

Diagnostic Test Results

 Test kits by the CDC

 Complete blood count (CBC)

Imaging

 Chest radiography

 Computed tomography scanning (thorax)

II. INTRA

Treatment

Listed below are the nursing interventions for a patient diagnosed with a pandemic:

 Monitor vital signs. Monitor the patient’s temperature; the infection usually begins with a high

temperature; monitor the respiratory rate of the patient as shortness of breath is another common

symptom.
  Monitor O2 saturation. Monitor the patient’s O2 saturation because respiratory compromise results

in hypoxia.

 Maintain respiratory isolation. Keep tissues at the patient’s bedside; dispose secretions properly;

intsruct the patient to cover mouth when coughing or sneezing; use masks, and advise those

entering the room to wear masks as well; place respiratory stickers on chart, linens, and so on.

 Enforce strict hand hygiene. Teach the patient and folks to wash hands after coughing to reduce or

prevent the transmission of the virus.

 Manage hyperthermia. Use appropriate therapy for elevated temperature to maintain normothermia

and reduce metabolic needs.

 Educate the patient and folks. Provide information on disease transmission, diagnostic testing,

disease process, complications, and protection from the virus.

Medications given are:

 Antipyretics

 Guaifenesin

 IV fluid supplementation

 Oxygen therapy

Focus Monitoring on:

 Pain level and effectiveness of interventions

 Vital signs

 Temperature

 Signs and symptoms of dehydration

 Signs and symptoms of pneumonia

 Respiratory status
  Response to treatment

 Infection-control precautions

 Complications

 Coping status

Focus of Patient Education:

General

Include the patient’s family or caregiver in teaching, includes:

 Disorder, diagnostic testing, and treatment

 Important of frequent hand hygiene

 Respiratory hygiene measures

 Avoiding close personal contact with friends and family

 Importance of not going to work, school or other public places until signs and symptoms have

resolved

 Wearing a surgical mask around other people

 Importance of not sharing silverware, towels, or bedding

 Using disposable gloves and household disinfectant

 Energy-conservation measures

 Importance of adhering to recommendations for infection control and follow-up care to ensure

resolution of the infection.

III. POST

Discharge Planning

 Participate as part of a multidisciplinary team to coordinate discharge planning efforts

  Assess the patient’s and family’s understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and

warning signs for which to seek medical attention.

 Assess the patient’s level of independence before admission.

 Evaluate how the current illness will impact the patient’s independence.

 Assess the patient’s and family’s understanding of the prescribed medication, including

dosage, and administration

 Assess the patient’s ability to obtain medications

 Assist with arranging home health care, if needed

 Ensure that the patient and caregivers have been given medical information

 Ensure that the patient receives a copy of the discharge instructions

 Document the discharge planning evaluation in the patient’s clinical record

Prepared and Submitted by: STEPHANIE RUTH C. SALVADOR, BSN 4-1

Submitted to: Professor Anabelle S. Umali, RN, MAN