Which combination of strategies best aligns with ALARA to minimize patient exposure?

• A. Minimize time, maximize distance, and use shielding as needed
• B. Maximize exposure time, maximize distance, ignore shielding
• C. Increase mA, extend exposure, ignore distance
• D. Use only shielding, ignore time and distance

Answer: (A)

The main idea is ALARA: keep patient radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable by controlling time, distance, and shielding. Shorter exposure time reduces the dose directly, and being farther from the source lowers dose due to the inverse-square relationship between distance and intensity. Shielding adds another barrier to protect the patient when appropriate, without compromising image quality. Using all three together—minimizing time, maximizing distance, and applying shielding as needed—best aligns with ALARA and minimizes exposure.

The other options fail because they either increase exposure (longer time, higher mA/extending exposure), ignore a protective measure (shielding), or rely on shielding alone without optimizing time and distance, which is not sufficient to keep dose as low as reasonable.