Q. A 36-year-old man with a history of asthma presents to the emergency department with a complaint of worsening shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing over the past two days. He reports using his quick-relief inhaler several times a day without improvement in her symptoms. Upon physical examination, he is tachypneic with a respiratory rate of 24 breaths per minute, and a lung exam reveals wheezing throughout both lung fields with decreased air entry in both bases. The patient's peak flow measurement is 50% of the predicted normal range. His arterial blood gas analysis reveals a pH of 7.32, PaCO2 of 40 mmHg, and PaO2 of 60 mmHg. A complete blood count (CBC) reveals no significant abnormalities, and a chest x-ray is unremarkable. What will be the most appropriate initial step in the management of this patient?