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A satisfactory abdominal image is taken using an 8:1 grid, 35mAs, and 85kVp. What mAs is required when switching to a 12:1 grid?

  1. 35

  2. 40

  3. 48

  4. 50

The correct answer is: 48

When transitioning from an 8:1 grid to a 12:1 grid, it is important to recognize that a higher grid ratio is designed to absorb more scatter radiation. This means that to achieve the same image quality, an increase in mAs is necessary to compensate for the loss of exposure due to the grid's additional absorption. The 12:1 grid generally requires about 1.5 times the exposure (mAs) compared to an 8:1 grid to achieve comparable density on the radiograph. Given that the initial mAs for the 8:1 grid was 35, multiplying this value by 1.5 provides the new required mAs: 35 mAs x 1.5 = 52.5 mAs. Rounding this value yields 50 mAs, which is in line with the increased demand for exposure due to the higher grid ratio. Thus, switching to a 12:1 grid necessitates an increase to approximately 50 mAs to achieve a satisfactory abdominal image.