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A 10% ejection fraction is severe heart failure. Ejection fraction is simply the amount of blood that is ejected from the left ventricle (the chamber from which blood is pumped out into the aorta and then into the body) compared to the amount right before it begins to pump. A normal ejection fraction is 60-65%. With an ejection fraction of 10%, the heart cannot keep up with the blood supply needs of the body and blood begins to "back up" into the venous system, raising pressures there. This causes fluid to leak out of the veins into tissues. The lungs are just upstream from the left ventricle and thus "water in the lungs" is really fluid that is leaking from the pulmonary venous system due to the heart failure. The same thing also causes swelling of the legs and such for the same reason.
My cousin had the same problem due to cocaine abuse. He was only about 24. He spent a lot of time in the hospital, he lived about a year or so after his diagnosis. He never stopped the drugs so was not a candidate for transplant.
There is always hope, if your brother stops his self destructive habits and allows his heart to try and heal. Whether or not that is possible is impossible to tell you over the internet. It would be a shot in the dark to tell you if I were his doctor. He might well be looking at a transplant in the future.
If you have any questions, shoot me a PM or post it here, I'm sure Art or I could help you out.
Good luck and God bless, Len.
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Rick
1984 911 coupe
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