How does technique lower unnecessary patient dose?

• A. Low kVp and wide collimation
• B. High kVp and collimation
• C. High mA and long exposure
• D. No technique changes

Answer: (B)

To lower patient dose, you want to deliver the required image quality with the smallest amount of radiation. Using a higher kVp makes the X-ray beam more penetrating, so you can reach the needed receptor exposure with a lower mAs (and thus less overall radiation). Pairing this with collimation—the beam being restricted to the exact area of interest—reduces the irradiated tissue and minimizes scatter, which otherwise would requireMore exposure to compensate. Together, higher kVp and collimation achieve diagnostic-quality images at a lower dose.

The other approaches don’t achieve that balance: low kVp tends to require higher mAs to get enough receptor exposure, increasing dose; wide collimation increases the area irradiated; high mA with a long exposure directly raises dose; and not changing technique misses the opportunity to minimize dose.