To reduce radiation dose to patients, how should the kVP and mAs be set?

To reduce radiation dose to patients, setting a high kilovolt peak (kVp) while keeping the milliampere-seconds (mAs) low is considered effective practice. A high kVp increases the energy of the x-ray beam, which enhances penetration through the body tissues. This allows for better image quality with less radiation exposure because the x-rays can pass through the patient more effectively without needing an excessive quantity of radiation.

When the kVp is high, it often results in a reduction of the required mAs to achieve adequate image quality. Lowering the mAs decreases the overall amount of radiation the patient receives since mAs is directly related to the quantity of x-ray photons produced. Therefore, using a high kVp in combination with low mAs helps in maintaining the balance between image quality and patient safety, ensuring that the dose of radiation is minimized while still obtaining diagnostic images that are clinically useful. This strategy aligns with the principle of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable), which aims to keep radiation exposure to patients as low as possible.