TCRN Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Prep for Your Test

During resuscitation, the primary goal concerning core body temperature is to ensure that it stays above 35°C. This is crucial because hypothermia can significantly worsen outcomes in trauma patients. Maintaining a temperature above this threshold supports the body's physiological processes and helps in avoiding complications that can arise from being too cold.

When a patient's body temperature drops below 35°C, it can lead to impaired coagulation, reduced metabolic function, and the potential for further complications such as cardiac arrhythmias. In trauma situations, patients are particularly vulnerable, and keeping their temperature at or above this level is key to stabilizing their condition and promoting recovery.

The other options suggest maintaining lower temperatures or achieving rapid drops, which would likely be detrimental to the patient. Maintaining a temperature closer to the normal range, around 37°C, is ideal but must not dip below the critical threshold of 35°C during resuscitation efforts.