Should densitometric strips be exposed to X-rays?

• A. TRUE
• B. FALSE
• C. Only during calibration
• D. Often during QC

Answer: (B)

Densitometric strips serve as reference materials to gauge film density and should reflect only the processing conditions, not direct X-ray exposure. If a strip is irradiated, its optical density changes in a way that does not correspond to the actual patient image or the normal processing steady state, making any density readings unreliable. Keeping the strip out of the beam preserves a true baseline that can be compared against processed film readings. Calibration and quality checks rely on stable, non-irradiated references, so exposing the strip to X-rays would compromise the accuracy of QC results. In practice, use the densitometer readings from properly processed films and dedicated calibration tools as specified by protocol, not by irradiating the strip itself.