What is a common effect of using too high of kVp during an x-ray procedure?

Using a high kilovolt peak (kVp) during an x-ray procedure typically results in decreased image detail. Higher kVp settings produce x-rays with higher energy, which can penetrate tissues more effectively but often at the expense of contrast and detailed visualization of structures. This is because high kVp x-rays are less absorbed by soft tissues, leading to a more uniform exposure across the image. Consequently, subtle differences in tissue density may not be as apparent, resulting in a loss of detail.

In the context of the other options, increased contrast usually occurs with lower kVp settings, where lower energy x-rays are more readily absorbed by denser tissues, highlighting differences in tissue composition. Higher patient doses are also typically associated with increased mAs (milliamperage-seconds) rather than kVp alone, and higher kVp does not necessarily result in lower radiation scatter; rather, it changes the nature of the scatter but does not reduce the total amount of scatter radiation produced in most scenarios. Therefore, the effect of using a high kVp setting is primarily linked to a reduction in image detail.