Which action would not reduce radiation exposure in the cath lab?

Which action would not reduce radiation exposure in the cath lab?

• A. Increase frame rate
• B. Increase distance
• C. Use shielding
• D. Collimate

Answer: (A)

Increasing frame rate does not reduce radiation exposure; it actually raises it because more x-ray pulses are needed per second, delivering more dose to the patient and staff. In fluoroscopy, dose rises with frame rate, so higher frames per second mean more radiation. The ways to cut exposure include increasing distance (which uses the inverse-square law to lower dose), using shielding to block scattered radiation, and collimating to limit the beam to the target area, reducing both patient dose and scatter. So, among common dose-reduction strategies, the action that would not reduce exposure is increasing the frame rate; lowering the frame rate, maximizing distance when possible, applying shielding, and tightening collimation all help reduce dose.

Increasing frame rate does not reduce radiation exposure; it actually raises it because more x-ray pulses are needed per second, delivering more dose to the patient and staff. In fluoroscopy, dose rises with frame rate, so higher frames per second mean more radiation. The ways to cut exposure include increasing distance (which uses the inverse-square law to lower dose), using shielding to block scattered radiation, and collimating to limit the beam to the target area, reducing both patient dose and scatter. So, among common dose-reduction strategies, the action that would not reduce exposure is increasing the frame rate; lowering the frame rate, maximizing distance when possible, applying shielding, and tightening collimation all help reduce dose.