Patient education
Ejection Fraction
Ejection fraction (EF) is the percentage of blood pumped out of a ventricle with each heartbeat. It is a common measure of how well the heart muscle is squeezing. An echocardiogram is often used to estimate EF.
What ejection fraction measures
During each heartbeat the heart contracts and relaxes. In contraction (systole) the ventricles eject blood. When the heart relaxes (diastole) the ventricles fill. The heart never empties all of the blood from the ventricles, no matter how hard it beats.
Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood that is pumped out with each beat. It is usually measured in the left ventricle because that chamber is the main pump to the body.
Numbers mentioned in recovered education
Recovered practice education stated that a typical ejection fraction in a person at rest is between 55 and 70 percent. If the heart muscle has been damaged by heart attack, heart-muscle disease, or valve problems, the EF may be below that range.
These figures are educational background from older materials. Only your physician should interpret your measurement and whether it has changed.
How EF is commonly obtained
An echocardiogram is a commonly used test to estimate EF. Other imaging can be used in some situations. Ask which test was used if you were given a number.
Why EF comes up in rhythm care
Recovered FAQ text noted that people with a substantially reduced EF may be discussed as having higher risk for abnormal rhythms and sudden cardiac arrest. That discussion is individualized and involves more than a single percentage.
Some device conversations, including ICD or CRT topics, also consider pumping function. Those criteria require physician review and are not listed here as rules.
What EF does not tell you by itself
EF does not describe your heart rhythm. You can have a reduced EF without an arrhythmia, or an arrhythmia with a preserved EF. Symptoms such as shortness of breath have many causes.
Do not use a number from a report to change medications on your own.
When to contact a physician
Call the office if you were told your ejection fraction is reduced and you have questions about heart rhythm evaluation in the San Fernando Valley. Call 911 for sudden worsening of breathing, chest pain, or fainting.