ALARA requires that radiological procedures be justified by benefits and optimized to minimize dose. True or False?

• A. Only justified
• B. True
• C. Only optimized
• D. False

Answer: (B)

ALARA means you must first justify a radiological procedure by its expected clinical benefit, and then optimize how the exposure is delivered to keep the dose as low as reasonably achievable. The statement reflects both parts: the procedure should be justified because the benefits to the patient outweigh the risks, and once justified, every effort must be made to minimize the dose. That combination is what ALARA is about in practice.

If you only justified the procedure but didn't optimize the exposure, or only optimized without ensuring a worthwhile benefit, you wouldn’t be fully applying ALARA. The option that denies either requirement misses a fundamental element of how radiological protection is applied. So the correct stance is true.