What’s the EF?

The focus of this quiz is on quantifying global left ventricular systolic function (TTE and TEE.)  I will not ask you to specify the exact EF.  Instead I’ll break up global function into normal (55%+), mildly decreased (45-54%), moderately decreased (30-44%), and severely decreased (< 30%.)  While different labs use different cutoffs, this system is recommended by the American Society of Echocardiography in their Guidelines on Chamber Quantification.  That’s good enough for me.

Remember that you’ll still need to create your own random order to keep things interesting.  And before you say it, I realize that you will rarely be in a position to quantify global function based only on a single image. Doesn’t mean this isn’t good practice though, right?  So let’s get cracking!