Which adjustment to the beam restriction would improve the image quality and reduce scatter radiation?

• A. Apply increased collimation
• B. Decrease collimation
• C. Increase exposure time
• D. Increase field size

Answer: (A)

Tighter beam restriction reduces the irradiated volume, so less tissue scatters the X-rays. With less scatter, more primary photons reach the image receptor, increasing image contrast and overall quality, while also lowering the patient dose. Increasing collimation directly achieves this improvement by narrowing the field; expanding the field or increasing exposure time would raise scatter and dose without improving contrast, and increasing the field size would do the opposite of what you want.