What is the effect of using lower kilovoltage peak (kVp) on scatter radiation production?

Using a lower kilovoltage peak (kVp) in fluoroscopy and radiography has a significant effect on the production of scatter radiation. Lowering the kVp results in a decreased energy of the x-rays generated. This decrease in energy leads to a higher probability of interaction between x-ray photons and the tissues.

When x-ray photons interact with matter, particularly soft tissues, they can undergo Compton scattering, where an x-ray photon collides with an electron and scatters in a different direction while losing energy. With lower energy photons, the likelihood of these scattering events increases, but this can also lead to a situation where the overall scatter radiation produced is effectively reduced due to the limitation in the penetration ability of lower-energy photons.

In essence, lower kVp settings tend to result in less overall photon transmission through the patient, which leads to fewer interactions with tissues that would produce scatter. This reduction in scatter is advantageous in imaging because it improves image quality by minimizing haze and enhancing contrast. Therefore, utilizing lower kVp effectively decreases the amount of scatter radiation produced in the imaging process.