What it means
The strongest chamber of the heart, with the thickest muscle wall, because it must push blood to the whole body. It receives blood from the left atrium, which comes from the lungs. When it fails (left-sided heart failure), blood backs up into the lungs. How much blood it pumps out with each beat is measured as the ejection fractionih-JEK-shun FRAK-shunThe percentage of blood in the left ventricle that is pumped out with each heartbeat.Full entry .
At a glance
| Abbreviations | LV |
|---|---|
| Spanish | ventrículo izquierdo |
| Also written | left ventricular, LV |
Related terms
heart failure
A long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.
ventricle
One of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.
cardiac output
The amount of blood the heart pumps out in one minute.
ejection fraction
The percentage of blood in the left ventricle that is pumped out with each heartbeat.