CAMRT Radiography Practice Exam

Of the following disease processes, which requires a significant increase in technical factors?

1. Esophageal varices

2. Pancreatic cancer

3. Diabetes

4. Ascites

The correct answer is: Ascites

The correct choice, which indicates the requirement for a significant increase in technical factors, is associated with ascites. Ascites refers to the accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity, and this accumulation can lead to a considerable increase in the area of interest's effective thickness. When performing radiographic imaging, especially in modalities such as X-ray, the increased density caused by the fluid must be compensated for by adjusting the exposure factors, such as kVp and mA, to achieve optimal image quality and ensure adequate penetration. In practical terms, when imaging a patient with ascites, the radiographer must increase the technical factors to properly visualize the structures of interest behind the fluid. This adjustment will help in achieving the necessary contrast and minimizing the risk of underexposure, which could lead to difficulties in diagnostic interpretation. In contrast, conditions like esophageal varices, pancreatic cancer, and diabetes do not necessitate such a significant adjustment in technical factors. Variations associated with these diseases typically do not result in an equivalent increase in tissue density and thickness that would necessitate a large alteration in exposure settings. For example, pancreatic cancer may impact visual clarity due to the tumor itself, but it does not usually require a comparable change in radiographic exposure settings as asc