What happens to patient exposure when intensifying screens are used in radiography?

When intensifying screens are utilized in radiography, patient exposure typically decreases. Intensifying screens are materials that emit light when exposed to radiation. They are placed in the cassette with the X-ray film, and when X-rays strike the screen, the emitted light exposes the film. This process enhances the film's sensitivity to the radiation being used.

As a result, less X-ray exposure is needed to achieve a diagnostic image because the screens convert some of the X-ray energy into visible light, which then produces an image on the film. This decrease in required X-ray exposure leads to a reduction in the amount of radiation the patient is subjected to during the imaging process.

Using intensifying screens, therefore, not only improves the efficiency of the imaging process by allowing for faster exposures but also maintains patient safety by lowering radiation dose, which is paramount in medical imaging practices. This approach adheres to the principle of As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) in radiography.