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Rhan K'hal

Caitian Emergency Metabolic Surge Overview

Caitian Emergency Metabolic Surge Overview

 

Origins

 

Caitians are evolved from a quadrupedal predatory species in the general feline category. Evidence indicates that the general climate during the height of the prehistoric caitus explorator period was very arid over a wide area of the planet. The explorator's high intelligence allowed them to overcome many of the hardships of this environment and the subsequent lack of prey, but their bodies had evolved an emergency mechanism should, despite their advantages, they go extended periods without feeding.

 

This metabolic surge is a multi-part process that includes a flood of stored adrenaline and metabolic enzymes from their specialized receptaculum organ which allows for a remarkable surge in the explorator's energy level, allowing them to catch the meal that would save their life. However if the surge is used and the hunt failed, the explorator would quickly die from using up their remaining store of energy reserves, including the breakdown of limited fat cells, and blood sugars. Even if the surge was initiated in a healthy, well fed explorator the resulting depletion, hypoglycemic reactions and adrenal fatigue would often prove fatal in an environment with territorial and competitive rivals.

 

This emergency reaction remained as part of the anatomy as the explorator evolved into the various proto-caits, and then further into today's caitus superioris, and is mostly unchanged from its mechanisms over this time period.

 

Modern Implications

 

Modern caits differ in many ways from the ancient explorator species. Besides the transition to a primary bipedal mode of locomotion, the caitian brain is vastly superior to that of the explorator and thus has a much higher energy requirement. General body mass is also considerably lessened from the larger predatory ancestor. Caitian food intake has also evolved from carnivorous to omnivorous. The entire metabolic process in caitus superioris is driven much differently with considerably different goals.

 

The receptaculum remains part of the caitian anatomy however, and has not dwindled to become vestigial though approximately 8% smaller than in the explorator. The basic actions have not kept up with the evolution however, and even with advanced medical science, the mortality rate of individuals who used the surge was well over 80% until the early 24th Century, when the Renovo drug was created.

 

Renovo is a combination drug that includes beta blockers, enzyme incapacitation chemicals, a large supply of glucose, as wells as the signature compound in the drug that blocks the neural signals that keep the receptaculum open. This first reaction medication, followed by immediate medical care, reduced the mortality rate in treated cases below 1%.

 

However, due to the danger posed by the surge in modern caits, they are taught from a very young age to avoid using it unless it is a true life or death situation. Caits that operate in dangerous environments are often encouraged to keep an auto-injector of Renovo with them or within easy access.

 

Post Surge Treatment

 

The first and most important part of keeping a cait alive after they have used the surge is to give them a dose of Renovo if they have not already self-administered. Most caits keep a dose nearby, however it can now be replicated if it is not available.

Secondly, the patient should be given some form of high-energy sustenance, whether it is a full meal, preferably high in carbohydrates. Starfleet personnel can use the E2P Emergency Ration to sufficient effect, but will require further supplements sooner than a full meal would need.

 

Once the immediate needs are met, the patient will need monitoring and after-care. As soon as possible as the cait is stabilized post-surge, the patient will suffer from major adrenaline fatigue. There are a number of suitable medicines in the Federation that can treat this. The cait will also need ample time to rest beyond the usual tendency to sleep more than average humanoid norms.

 

Other post-surge symptoms can include headaches, muscle soreness and cramping (especially if the surge was used for a highly physical task), dizziness and/or disorientation, and irritability. Medical personnel can treat these symptoms or combination of symptoms as required. For caits in the field, a standard medkit dose of cortropine should allay most symptoms for 6-8 hours, though only two total doses are recommended without further analysis by medically trained personnel.

 

 

Starfleet Medical Overview 34521.8442

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Very cool medical overview regarding Caits!

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