How to Pronounce Cardiac Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Cardiac Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Pronunciation
KAR-dee-ak FAYL-yer with preh-ZERVD ee-JEK-shun FRAK-shun
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
KAR
stress here
dee
ak FAYL
yer with preh
ZERVD ee
JEK
stress here
shun FRAK
shun
8 syllables
What is Cardiac Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction?
Heart failure (also called HFpEF) in which the heart's pumping fraction is normal or near-normal (typically above 50%) but the ventricle is stiff and cannot fill adequately with blood, causing breathlessness and fluid retention.
Questions About Cardiac Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
How do you pronounce 'Cardiac Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction'?
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Say it like this: KAR-dee-ak FAYL-yer with preh-ZERVD ee-JEK-shun FRAK-shun. The stress falls on the first syllable of 'cardiac' (KAR) and the first syllable of 'failure' (FAYL). The word 'preserved' sounds like it rhymes with 'served,' and 'ejection' rhymes with 'direction.'
What's the most common mispronunciation of this term?
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Many people stress the second syllable and say 'car-DEE-ak' instead of 'KAR-dee-ak,' or they say 'fray-LYE-yer' instead of 'FAYL-yer.' Remember: the first syllables of both 'cardiac' and 'failure' should get the emphasis.
How do you break this term into syllables?
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Break it like this: CAR-dee-ak (3 syllables) FAYL-yer (2 syllables) with (1 syllable) preh-ZERVD (2 syllables) ee-JEK-shun (3 syllables) FRAK-shun (2 syllables). That's 13 syllables total, which is why people often use the short form HFpEF instead.
What does 'ejection fraction' mean in simple terms?
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Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood your heart pumps out with each beat. In this condition, that percentage is normal (usually above 50%), which is why doctors say it's 'preserved' or kept at a healthy level.
What is HFpEF, and how do you say it?
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HFpEF is the short abbreviation for this condition—it stands for 'Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction.' You say it by spelling out the letters: H-F-p-E-F. Doctors and nurses use this abbreviation all the time because it's much faster than saying the full name.
Where does the word 'cardiac' come from?
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The word 'cardiac' comes from the Greek word 'kardia,' which means 'heart.' You'll see this root in other heart-related words like 'cardiologist' (a heart doctor) and 'cardiology' (the study of the heart).
What does 'preserved' mean in the context of this medical term?
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'Preserved' simply means 'kept normal' or 'maintained.' In this case, the ejection fraction is preserved because it stays at a normal level, even though there's a problem with how the heart fills with blood.
Can you use this term in a sentence?
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Here's an example: 'The patient was diagnosed with cardiac failure with preserved ejection fraction, which means the heart's pumping strength is normal but it has trouble relaxing and filling.' You might also hear someone say, 'The echocardiogram showed HFpEF.'