What is the best course of action if a patient's oxygen saturation drops during intubation?

When a patient's oxygen saturation drops during intubation, the best course of action is to stop the intubation process and provide supplemental oxygen. This approach is crucial because maintaining adequate oxygenation is essential to prevent hypoxemia, which can lead to serious complications and potentially worsen the patient's condition.

Administering supplemental oxygen helps to quickly restore oxygen levels while allowing the healthcare provider to reassess the situation and the patient's airway. This pause allows for better management of the patient's airway and offers time to consider alternative approaches, such as repositioning, using adjuncts like a bougie, or perhaps even manual ventilation if appropriate.

Continuing with intubation while increasing sedation may further compromise the patient's respiratory drive and oxygenation, while redirecting focus to airway management without intervention neglects the immediate need for correction of hypoxia. Changing the sedation medication may not address the urgent need to restore oxygen saturation. Therefore, stopping the procedure for supplemental oxygen is the most effective and safest measure in this situation.