Which safety practices are key during fluoroscopy?

• A. Limit exposure time, use pulsed or last-image hold modes, maintain distance, maximize shielding, and monitor cumulative dose.
• B. Ignore shielding if the procedure is quick.
• C. Use continuous fluoroscopy without breaks.
• D. Increase dose to improve image quality.

Answer: (A)

During fluoroscopy, reducing radiation exposure is kept front and center by applying the principle of ALARA: limit time, reduce dose per frame, increase distance, use shielding, and monitor the accumulated dose. Limiting exposure time directly lowers the total amount of radiation the patient and staff receive. Using pulsed fluoroscopy or a last-image-hold mode cuts the number of frames and the continuous dose while still providing the needed image information. Maintaining distance matters because radiation intensity falls off sharply with distance, so standing further away from the patient and source significantly decreases exposure. Maximizing shielding with protective barriers and lead garments intercepts scatter and protects the operator and staff. Monitoring cumulative dose helps ensure the overall exposure stays within safety guidelines and prompts adjustments if limits are approached. These practices collectively minimize risk without sacrificing essential imaging quality. Ignoring shielding, using continuous fluoroscopy without breaks, or increasing dose to improve image quality all raise exposure unnecessarily and contradict safe fluoroscopic practice.