To minimize patient exposure in digital radiography (DR), which practice is most effective?

Using a high kilovolt peak (kVp) and low milliampere-seconds (mAs) technique is the most effective practice to minimize patient exposure in digital radiography. This approach takes advantage of the relationship between kVp and the quality of the X-ray beam. Increasing the kVp enhances the penetrability of the X-ray beam, allowing it to pass through the patient more efficiently. This means that higher energy photons are used, which can reduce the overall amount of radiation needed to produce a diagnostic image.

Lowering the mAs reduces the quantity of radiation that the patient is exposed to. Since mAs is a measure of the total number of X-ray photons produced, using a lower mAs while maintaining a sufficient image quality decreases the amount of radiation delivered to the patient without compromising diagnostic capabilities. This combination effectively minimizes patient exposure while still producing adequate images for diagnosis.