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When performing the secondary assessment on a trauma patient, you note the presence of Battle sign. This is defined as:

User Anisbet
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Final answer:

Battle sign indicates potential skull fracture and is seen as bruising behind the ears. Leukocytosis, an elevated white blood cell count, is a common response to burns and reflects the body's reaction to stress, infection, or inflammation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When performing the secondary assessment on a trauma patient, Battle sign's presence indicates the bruising behind the ears, suggesting a potential skull fracture. In the case of a patient who has been admitted to the burn unit with a severe burn covering their left upper extremity and shoulder, a blood test revealing leukocytosis is an expected finding. Leukocytosis, which is an elevated white blood cell count, is a common response to burns or other types of significant bodily stress as the body mounts a response to infection or inflammation.

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