American male who has a history of hypertension and asthma

John Franklin is a 35-year-old African American male who has a history of hypertension and asthma who smokes ½ ppd since the age of eighteen. He began to feel more short of breath after supper today and began to have a persistent non- productive cough. He ran out of his albuterol inhaler two months ago and has audible expiratory wheezing when he comes to the triage window of the emergency department (ED).

John is promptly brought to a room in the ED and you are the nurse responsible for his care.