What effect does increasing the framing frequency have on patient radiation dose?

Increasing the framing frequency has the effect of increasing the radiation dose to the patient. This is primarily because a higher framing frequency means that the X-ray beam is being activated more frequently during the imaging process. As a result, more radiation is emitted in a shorter time frame to capture more images or frames per second.

In fluoroscopy, the framing frequency directly relates to how often the image is refreshed. When this rate is increased, the system needs to emit more radiation to achieve the desired image quality and temporal resolution. This ultimately leads to a higher cumulative dose of radiation received by the patient over the course of the procedure.

Considering other options, a decrease in radiation dose or no effect is inaccurate due to the evident relationship between increased exposure and dose. Likewise, while higher framing frequency could potentially affect image clarity—often leading to greater clarity with faster imaging—the key impact on patient safety is the increase in radiation exposure, which is crucial for healthcare professionals to monitor and manage effectively.