If a radiographic study must be repeated, how does it affect the patient's dose?

If a radiographic study must be repeated, how does it affect the patient's dose?

• A. Dose remains the same
• B. Dose doubles
• C. Dose decreases
• D. Dose triples

Answer: (B)

When a radiographic study must be repeated, the patient receives another exposure of ionizing radiation. The total dose is the sum of all exposures, so with one repeat you end up with two exposures of roughly the same energy and duration. That means the overall dose is about double what it would have been if the repeat hadn’t been needed. This illustrates why operators strive to minimize repeats under the ALARA principle—the cumulative dose increases with each additional exposure. If more than one repeat is needed, the dose rises even further, proportionate to the number of exposures.

When a radiographic study must be repeated, the patient receives another exposure of ionizing radiation. The total dose is the sum of all exposures, so with one repeat you end up with two exposures of roughly the same energy and duration. That means the overall dose is about double what it would have been if the repeat hadn’t been needed. This illustrates why operators strive to minimize repeats under the ALARA principle—the cumulative dose increases with each additional exposure. If more than one repeat is needed, the dose rises even further, proportionate to the number of exposures.