What precaution should be taken when transporting a patient with a suspected pulmonary embolism?

Providing high-flow oxygen is crucial when transporting a patient with a suspected pulmonary embolism due to the potential for impaired gas exchange and hypoxia. Pulmonary embolism can lead to reduced blood flow to the lungs, where oxygen is exchanged, resulting in decreased oxygen saturation levels in the blood. Administering high-flow oxygen helps ensure that the patient receives adequate oxygenation and can help alleviate symptoms of dyspnea, chest pain, or altered mental status that may arise from respiratory distress.

In emergencies such as a pulmonary embolism, maintaining oxygen saturation above a critical threshold is vital for patient stabilization. High-flow oxygen can rapidly improve oxygen levels in the bloodstream, helping to mitigate the effects of the embolism while transportation to an advanced care facility takes place.

Monitoring vital signs constantly is indeed important, but it does not directly address the immediate need for oxygenation. Ensuring that the patient is lying flat may not be advisable as lying flat can sometimes exacerbate respiratory distress; many patients find comfort in sitting up. Similarly, initiating intravenous fluids, while sometimes necessary for other conditions, is not a critical intervention for suspected pulmonary embolism and may even pose risks like fluid overload in certain situations. Therefore, the priority in this scenario is to provide high-flow oxygen.