Ventricular Ejection Fraction (EF) is a medical term that measures the efficiency of the heart's ability to pump blood out of the ventricles during each contraction, specifically between the left and right ventricles. It is expressed as a percentage and is an essential diagnostic tool used in cardiology to assess the overall function of the heart.
The ventricles are the two lower chambers of the heart responsible for pumping blood to the rest of the body. During contraction, blood is expelled from the ventricles into the arteries. The Ejection Fraction represents the proportion of blood pushed out of the ventricles with each heartbeat.
To determine the EF, an echocardiogram or other imaging techniques are used to measure the volume of blood present in the ventricles both before and after contraction. The difference between these volumes is then divided by the initial volume to obtain the EF. Normally, a healthy heart has an EF ranging from 50% to 70%.
Ventricular Ejection Fraction plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of various heart conditions, particularly heart failure. A reduced EF usually indicates impaired ventricular function, potentially resulting from heart diseases such as myocardial infarction, heart valve diseases, or cardiomyopathy. It provides physicians with vital information to determine the severity of the condition, guide treatment decisions, and monitor the response to therapy.
In summary, Ventricular Ejection Fraction is a numerical measure describing the efficiency of the heart in pumping blood out of the ventricles with each contraction. It is a significant parameter used to evaluate cardiac function and plays a fundamental role in the diagnosis and management of heart diseases.
