As you enter the living room of an adult patient who called 911 for shortness of breath, you observe the patient sitting upright in a chair with a panicked look on her face, struggling to breathe. Her breathing rate appears to be fast and tidal volume poor. You can hear rhonchi from her lungs without the aid of a stethoscope. Once at her side, you initial care should be to:

A) apply oxygen immediately.
B) auscultate lung sounds.
C) establish her rate of breathing.
D) assess her airway.

D