Which term denotes a core body temperature below normal 95°F?

• A. Hyperthermia
• B. Normothermia
• C. Hypothermia
• D. Fever

Answer: (C)

Hypothermia is the state where the body's core temperature falls below normal, defined clinically as less than 95°F. Normal core temperature sits around 98.6°F, and when it drops below 95°F, metabolic processes slow and the body activates responses like shivering to generate heat, with increasingly serious effects on organ function if warming isn’t achieved. This term is distinct from hyperthermia (excessively high temperature) and fever (temperature elevation due to a raised set point from infection), so it specifically denotes a core temperature below the normal threshold of 95°F.