Which practice is used as part of ALARA concepts?

Which practice is used as part of ALARA concepts?

• A. Thinner filtration
• B. Collimation
• C. Grids
• D. Increased mAs

Answer: (B)

ALARA aims to keep radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable while still obtaining a usable image. Collimation directly supports this by narrowing the x-ray beam to the area of interest, which reduces the volume of tissue irradiated and lowers scatter. Less scatter improves image quality and often allows for lower exposure to achieve the same diagnostic result. Increasing mAs would raise dose, so it goes against ALARA. Grids can improve contrast but require higher exposure and are used only when necessary, not as a universal dose-minimizing measure. Thinner filtration would allow more low-energy photons to reach the patient, increasing skin dose. So, narrowing the beam with collimation is the practice that aligns with ALARA.

ALARA aims to keep radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable while still obtaining a usable image. Collimation directly supports this by narrowing the x-ray beam to the area of interest, which reduces the volume of tissue irradiated and lowers scatter. Less scatter improves image quality and often allows for lower exposure to achieve the same diagnostic result. Increasing mAs would raise dose, so it goes against ALARA. Grids can improve contrast but require higher exposure and are used only when necessary, not as a universal dose-minimizing measure. Thinner filtration would allow more low-energy photons to reach the patient, increasing skin dose. So, narrowing the beam with collimation is the practice that aligns with ALARA.