EF Introduction

• Ejection Fraction:

  • ejection fraction gives a reliable indication of how well the ventricles are contracting
• Ejection Fraction:

  • EF = volume of blood ejected per ventricle per contraction (stroke volume) as a % of available blood (end diastolic ventricular volume - EDVV)
  • physiologically EF = ~ 70%
  • at rest the left ventricle fills with 120 mls of blood (the end diastolic ventricular volume - EDVV)
  • and ejects 70 mls of blood, aka stroke volume
  • 70/120 ml = ~ 68%
  • ejection fraction is a measure of ventricular pumping efficiency
• Measuring Ejection Fraction:

  • uses imaging techniques, including:
  • echocardiogram - most commonly used
  • cardiac catherization
  • magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • computerized tomography (CT)
  • nuclear medicine scan
• EF & ventricular function:

  • EF = SV/EDVV (echocardiology) x 100
  • EF of 50% = good ventricular function
  • EF of 35 to 49% = moderate ventricular function
  • EF less than 35% = poor ventricular function
• Categorising types of chronic heart failure:

  • theres a number of ways to categorise CHF in addition to left or right sided
  • such as systolic or diastolic failure
  • such as whether ejection fraction is preserved or reduced