Scattered radiation from the patient falls with the square of distance. Stepping from 1 metre to 2 metres away cuts dose to about a quarter; from 50 cm to 1 metre, the same.
Most scatter comes from where the beam enters the patient, which is on the tube side. Standing on the detector side, and taking a step back during acquisition runs or cine, reduces exposure without any equipment.
- Step back during acquisition runs whenever you do not need to be at the table
- Stand on the image detector side rather than the tube side where possible
- Keep the detector close to the patient and the tube as far away as practical
- Collimate tightly to reduce the volume producing scatter
Why it matters
Shielding equipment is inconsistently available, but distance and position are always free.
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