Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Commonly used in medicine, the word decubitus is used to mean lying down. It is derived from the Latin verb âdecumbereâ meaning to lie down.
The brain regulates metabolism and manages other functions to keep your body temperature within a normal range. But the brain can only do so much, and a host of outside factors can affect your body temperature. Controlling and managing these outside factors is key to maintaining a normal body temperature.
Most people think of a normal body temperature as an oral temperature of 98.6Â°F (37Â°C) . This is an average of normal body temperatures. Your temperature may actually be 1Â°F (0.6Â°C) or more above or below 98.6Â°F (37Â°C) . Some medicines, such as antibiotics, raise the body temperature directly. 2  Other medicines interfere with the body's ability to readjust its temperature when other factors cause the temperature to rise. 3  Severe trauma or injury, such as a heart attack, stroke, heat exhaustion or heatstroke, or burns.