The patient is a 3-year-old male who awakened about 10 minutes ago with respiratory distress and stridor. He is sitting bolt upright in bed. Accessory muscle use and intercostal retractions are present, but drooling is absent. Cyanosis of the lips and nail beds is present. The patient coughs frequently, producing a sound similar to a seal's bark. When he attempts to talk, he sounds very hoarse

His mother tells you that the patient has had a cold with a low-grade fever for "two or three days." The treatment for this patient would include:

a. systemic drug therapy with 1:1000 epinephrine.
b. intubation and high-concentration oxygen.
c. humidified oxygen and nebulized bronchodilators.
d. systemic drug therapy with aminophylline.

c