normothermic

Normothermic refers to conditions or states in which body temperature remains within the normal reference range. In humans, normothermia typically means a core body temperature approximately 36.5–37.5°C (97.7–99.5°F). Temperature can vary with time of day, activity, and measurement site, but normothermia denotes the absence of fever or hypothermia.

In clinical medicine, maintaining normothermia is important because deviations are linked to adverse outcomes. Hyperthermia or fever increases metabolic demand and may indicate infection; hypothermia impairs enzymatic function and coagulation and can worsen outcomes after trauma or surgery. Perioperative care often targets normothermia to reduce surgical site infections and other complications, using warming blankets or warmed intravenous fluids as needed.

Normothermic organ preservation is a notable application in transplantation. Normothermic machine perfusion circulates warm, oxygenated solution through an organ outside the body to maintain metabolic activity during storage, helping assess and recover function. This approach contrasts with hypothermic preservation, which cools organs to slow metabolism and reduce injury during transport.

In research and veterinary contexts, normothermia describes keeping animals or study subjects at their normal physiological temperature to avoid temperature-related confounding effects. The term derives from Latin norm-, meaning standard, and Greek therm, meaning heat.