What primary factors increase the patient radiation dose during computed radiography?

The primary factors that increase patient radiation dose during computed radiography include an increase in beam intensity. Beam intensity refers to the energy and quantity of photons in the X-ray beam. When the intensity of the X-ray beam is increased—whether through higher kilovolt peak (kVp) settings or by increasing the tube current (milliamperes, mA)—more radiation is delivered to the patient. This results in a higher dose because the amount of energy absorbed by the patient’s tissue directly correlates with the intensity of the X-ray beam.

Other factors such as the patient's age and weight, distance from the X-ray source, and time of exposure can affect radiation dose in certain contexts, but they do not have as direct or substantial an influence on the dose as the beam intensity itself. For instance, while age and weight may affect the choice of equipment settings or how a patient is positioned, the fundamental mechanism by which radiation dose is affected is primarily tied to beam intensity.