What is a primary indicator to check for when examining an injured person?

When examining an injured person, assessing breathing is a primary indicator because it directly informs you about their immediate condition and ability to sustain life. If a person is not breathing or is experiencing difficulty in breathing, it poses an urgent and critical situation that requires immediate action, such as administering CPR or calling for emergency services.

Breathing is fundamental to life; without a steady supply of oxygen, vital organs can begin to fail within minutes. Therefore, determining whether the person is breathing effectively can guide the responder in implementing life-saving measures promptly.

While other indicators like temperature, heart rate, and visible injuries provide valuable information about the person's overall health and specific medical conditions, they do not carry the same immediate implications for survival as breathing does. Temperature can indicate fever or hypothermia, heart rate can show distress or health status, and visible injuries can help assess the extent of trauma, but these are secondary to the life-critical nature of ensuring the person is breathing.