A radiograph taken during an upper GI series demonstrates poor visibility of the gastric mucosa.The following factors were used: 80 kV, 30 mAs, and 1/40-second exposure time.Barium sulfate was used during the procedure.Which of the following factors needs to be modified during the repeat exposure?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The poor visibility of the gastric mucosa suggests that the radiograph is underexposed. Increasing the kV will increase the penetration of the X-ray beam and improve the visibility of the structures in the image. Since increasing kV will decrease the amount of radiation needed, mAs can be decreased accordingly to maintain proper image density. The use of detail-speed screens or a water-soluble contrast medium are unrelated to the issue of underexposure and will not improve the visibility of the gastric mucosa. Shortening the exposure time will only decrease the amount of radiation reaching the image receptor and further decrease the visibility of the structures.

A Radiograph Taken During an Upper GI Series Demonstrates Poor