Which term BEST describes the condition of a 78-year-old woman who fell, broke her hip, and lay on the cool floor for 28 hours?

The condition of the 78-year-old woman after falling, breaking her hip, and lying on a cool floor for an extended period can be best described as internal urban hypothermia. This term refers to a lowering of the body temperature due to exposure to cool or cold environments. In this scenario, lying on a cool surface for 28 hours likely resulted in her body temperature decreasing significantly, leading to hypothermia.

Internal urban hypothermia is particularly relevant in cases involving older adults and individuals with limited mobility, as they are more susceptible to temperature regulation issues, especially in urban settings where indoor temperatures may be cooler than comfortable. The prolonged duration of lying on the cool floor would contribute to the risk of internal cooling of the body, even if the surrounding environment is not classically cold, thus making this the most appropriate descriptor for her condition.

The other options, like immersion hypothermia, usually relate to individuals submerged in water, while myxedema coma is a severe form of hypothyroidism and does not apply to this situation. External urban hypothermia, while it seems similar, does not specifically capture the internal temperature effects caused by the prolonged exposure on a cold surface.