Question

If a radiographer wanted to double image density without doubling the patient's dose, which action should be taken?

A. Double kilovolts peak (kVp).
B. Increase kilovolts peak (kVp) by 15%.
C. Increase milliampere-seconds (mAs) by 15%.
D. Double milliampere-seconds (mAs).

Answer 1

The correct choice is B. Increase kilovolts peak (kVp) by 15% to double the image density without significantly increasing the patient's dose.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a radiographer wants to double the image density without doubling the patient's dose, increasing the kilovolts peak (kVp) by 15% is the action that should be taken. This is because increasing the kVp increases the energy of the X-rays and thereby increases the penetrating power of the X-ray beam. This results in a denser image without increasing the patient's exposure to radiation as much as doubling the milliampere-seconds (mAs) would. Essentially, a 15% increase in kVp can potentially double the density of an X-ray image without a corresponding increase in dose.