Why might a radiologic technologist use a higher voltage of 85 kV during a pelvic examination?

Using a higher voltage of 85 kV during a pelvic examination primarily helps to lower the patient's dose of radiation. When voltage is increased in radiographic imaging, it enhances the penetrating power of the x-rays, which allows them to pass through the body more effectively. This means that less radiation is necessary to produce an adequate image, thereby reducing the overall exposure to radiation for the patient.

In the context of medical imaging, the balance between image quality and patient safety is crucial. A higher kV setting can improve the beam quality by increasing the energy of the photons, resulting in more efficient imaging with less scatter radiation, which contributes significantly to the patient’s dose. Thus, using higher kV settings is a well-established technique among radiologic technologists to minimize patient exposure while still obtaining the necessary diagnostic information from imaging studies.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the primary reason for using a higher voltage. For instance, while enhanced image clarity may be a secondary benefit, the main goal is to reduce radiation dose. Similarly, increasing exposure time is generally associated with lower kV settings to improve detail in image acquisition, and decreasing image contrast is not a standard goal when considering patient safety and image quality.