Increasing diagnostic filtration will lead to which of the following outcomes?

Increasing diagnostic filtration in radiography refers to the practice of using materials, such as aluminum, to selectively filter out low-energy x-rays from the beam before they reach the patient. This is important because low-energy x-rays contribute little to diagnostic image quality; instead, they primarily add to the patient’s radiation dose while not improving the diagnostic information obtained from the image.

When filtration is increased, the overall quality of the x-ray beam improves by reducing the amount of low-energy radiation, resulting in a reduction in the amount of radiation that passes through the patient. As a consequence, this leads to a decrease in the patient dose, which aligns with the correct answer. The benefit of decreased patient dose is significant: it minimizes the risks associated with radiation exposure while still allowing for effective imaging by enhancing the quality of the x-ray beam.

While low-energy x-rays are filtered out, the more penetrating high-energy x-rays remain, which can contribute to a clearer image without unnecessarily increasing radiation exposure to the patient. Therefore, increasing filtration directly contributes to the objective of reducing unnecessary radiation to patients while maintaining diagnostic efficacy.