Attenuation

Question 1

What is attenuation in the context of x-ray beams?

Answer 1

Decrease in x-ray beam intensity due to interactions in matter (body)

Attenuation occurs as x-rays pass through different tissues, resulting in varying levels of intensity.

Question 2

What are the three main types of interactions that cause attenuation?

Answer 2

Coherent scattering, photoelectric scattering, Compton scattering

These interactions affect how x-rays are absorbed or scattered as they pass through matter.

Question 3

What is meant by transmission in x-ray imaging?

Answer 3

Photo elections pass all the way through

Transmission refers to the x-rays that successfully pass through the body without being absorbed.

Question 4

What is the effect of attenuated photons in the body?

Answer 4

Responsible for ionization in the body and biological harm to the patient

Ionization can lead to cellular damage and increase the risk of radiation exposure effects.

Question 5

How does patient size affect attenuation?

Answer 5

Increase in patient size leads to an increase in attenuation

Larger patients absorb more x-rays, leading to higher attenuation.

Question 6

What is the relationship between atomic number and attenuation?

Answer 6

Increase in atomic number leads to an increase in attenuation

Higher atomic number materials absorb x-rays more effectively.

Question 7

Which would attenuate more: metal or patient tissues?

Answer 7

Metal would attenuate more than the patient tissues

Metals have a higher atomic number, leading to greater absorption of x-rays.

Question 8

Which has a higher atomic number: bone or fat?

Answer 8

Bone has a higher atomic number than fat

This difference contributes to the varying levels of attenuation between these two types of tissues.

Question 9

What is the effect of increasing KVP on attenuation?

Answer 9

Increase in KVP leads to a decrease in attenuation (inverse relationship)

Higher KVP settings result in more penetrating x-rays, reducing the overall attenuation.

Question 10

What happens to patient dose when KVP is increased?

Answer 10

Increase in KVP leads to an increase in patient dose

While higher KVP reduces attenuation, it also increases radiation exposure to the patient.

Question 11

What is the implication of increased attenuation on transmission readings in the detector?

Answer 11

Increase in attenuation leads to a decrease in transmission reading in the detector

This means fewer x-rays reach the detector, affecting image quality and interpretation.