High kVp techniques produce less exposure to the patient. What is the disadvantage to high kVp techniques?

• A. More scatter radiation is produced
• B. Higher patient dose
• C. Shorter exposure time
• D. Increased image contrast

Answer: (A)

Raising kVp makes the X-ray beam more penetrating, shifting interactions inside the patient toward Compton scattering rather than photoelectric absorption. Those scattered photons exit the body in many directions and reach the image receptor, increasing fog and degrading image contrast. That increase in scatter is the main drawback of high kVp techniques, because it lowers the image’s diagnostic quality. While higher kVp allows using less mA and can reduce the dose needed for receptor exposure, the scatter produced is the primary disadvantage. The other options don’t fit: higher patient dose is not the typical outcome for the same receptor exposure, shorter exposure time is an advantage, and image contrast actually decreases, not increases, with higher kVp.