You assess a scuba diver complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. The diver states that he was 70 feet below the surface when a large shark appeared in the area. The diver panicked and ascended to the surface very quickly.
Within minutes of getting out of the water, he developed considerable shortness of breath and chest pain that worsened with inhalation. Assessment findings show the patient to have significant respiratory distress accompanied by a rapid pulse rate and severe joint pain. The patient states that he has a history of asthma but did not bring his inhaler with him.
Your immediate action would be to do which of the following?