What does ALARA stand for and what is its core purpose?

• A. As Low As Reasonably Achievable; to minimize patient and worker radiation exposure through time, distance, and shielding
• B. As Low As Reasonably Adjusted; to maximize image quality
• C. As Low As Reasonably Applied; to regulate dose
• D. As Limited As Risks Allowable; not real

Answer: (A)

ALARA stands for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. Its purpose is to minimize radiation exposure to patients and workers by applying practical controls—reducing time near the source, increasing distance from it, and using shielding—while still obtaining diagnostically acceptable images. The idea isn’t to eliminate exposure entirely, but to keep it as low as reasonably possible given economic and social factors, balancing image quality with safety.

Other options use different acronyms or imply the wrong goal (e.g., maximizing image quality at any dose, or applying dose limits without considering practicality), which misses the core intent of ALARA.