Case Description: A 29-year old woman presented to the hospital emergency department by relatives after she fell at their home and complained of feeling ill. She reported sudden onset of stiffness, weakness in her limbs, and loss of mobility in her right leg. She also presented with shortness of breath, excessive sweating, and anxiety. Her clinical examination was unremarkable, save tachycardia of 150 beats per minute and signs of dehydration (skin held loose and mucous membranes were dry).
She reported being generally healthy throughout life, but did report similar symptoms twice within the last six months - treated outside of the hospital through hydration and rest. She denied any headache, muscle pain, or recent episodes of vomiting/diarrhea. She also denied any smoking, recreational drugs, laxatives, or alcohol.
The symptoms of stiffness, weakness, and loss of mobility prompted blood testing to test for low electrolyte concentrations in the blood. Blood testing at the time of admission revealed hypokalemia (9.00
10-2 mg/mL), hypochloremia (2.87 mg/mL), and hypomagnesemia (1.20
10-2 mg/mL). All other ions were within normal range, however on the low end. Lactate concentrations were elevated to severe levels and an elevated anion gap was calculated, all pointing to abnormal dehydration that would have been caused by diarrhea or vomiting. Raised AST/ALT ratio suggested liver injury.
Immediate treatment comprised of adenosine injection for tachycardia along with IV magnesium, potassium, and chloride supplements. When electrolytes were checked after 4 hours, magnesium and potassium had normalized.How many Ca and O are there in this ionic salt?