Review Question - QID 109490

An 18-month-old male with a past medical history of mild intermittent asthma presents to the emergency department with shortness of breath. His mother reports that the patient was playing with his older sister in another room when he began having difficulty breathing. He initially appeared to be wheezing, and the patient’s mother gave him his prescribed albuterol without improvement. In the emergency department, the patient’s temperature is 99.0°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 81/59 mmHg, pulse is 136/min, and respirations are 46/min. His oxygen saturation is 92% on room air. On physical exam, the patient is in moderate respiratory distress with nasal flaring and intercostal retractions. Breath sounds are absent on the left. His chest radiograph can be seen in Figure A.

Which of the following is the best next step in management?