What effect does decreased collimation have on the patient's effective dose with a fixed technique?

Decreased collimation refers to a broader beam of radiation being directed towards the patient during an imaging procedure. When collimation is decreased, more surrounding tissue is exposed to the radiation, which directly leads to an increased effective dose to the patient.

In radiographic practice, collimation is a critical component for minimizing unnecessary exposure. By focusing the x-ray beam to only the area of interest, collimation enhances image quality while reducing the amount of radiation the patient receives. When collimation is poor, the radiation not only affects the target area but also contributes to radiation exposure in adjacent tissues, ultimately raising the patient's effective dose.

Thus, it is accurate to state that decreased collimation increases the patient's effective dose, making this the correct answer. Understanding this relationship is essential for effective radiation safety practices in medical imaging.