Why does a radiologic technologist increase the distance between the radiation source and the patient?

Increasing the distance between the radiation source and the patient is an important practice in radiology primarily to decrease the patient skin dose. The principle of radiation exposure dictates that radiation intensity decreases with distance from the source, following the inverse square law. This law states that as one moves farther away from a radiation source, the dose received decreases exponentially. By increasing the distance, the technologist minimizes the amount of radiation that reaches the patient’s skin, thus reducing the overall dose and limiting the risk of tissue damage or radiation-related side effects.

While improving image quality, reducing procedure time, and preventing motion artifacts are also important considerations in radiology, they are not directly related to the fundamental reason for increasing the distance from the radiation source. The focus on patient safety and minimizing radiation exposure is paramount, making the reduction of skin dose the most critical factor in this scenario.