Diagnosing Heart Failure
Heart failure is diagnosed based on your medical history , signs and symptoms , and the results of medical tests . Your doctor will order tests based on your individual situation . Common tests include :
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Blood tests Chest X-ray
Electrocardiogram ( often called " EKG " or " ECG ")
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram — commonly called an " echo "— is an ultrasound of the heart that measures the ejection fraction . Ejection fraction ( EF ) is a measurement of how well the heart is pumping . It compares the amount of blood in the heart with the amount of blood pumped out each time it beats . Because the heart does not pump all the blood out with each beat , normal EF is about 50 % to 65 %.
My EF is _______%
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