Examinations taken with intensifying screens reduce the radiation dose to the patient by approximately what percent?

• A. 25%
• B. 50%
• C. 95%
• D. 10%

Answer: (C)

Intensifying screens boost image formation speed by converting X-ray energy into light, which exposes the film much more efficiently. Because the receptor requires far less X-ray exposure to achieve the same image density, the patient’s radiation dose is dramatically reduced. In typical practice, the reduction is about 95%, though the exact amount depends on the screen speed and system used. This level of dose savings is much larger than smaller reductions like 25%, 50%, or 10%, which would not reflect the substantial efficiency gain of screen-based imaging.