When using fluoroscopic equipment, which factor is directly proportional to the exposure delivered to the patient?

The factor that is directly proportional to the exposure delivered to the patient when using fluoroscopic equipment is milliamperage (mA). This is because mA represents the amount of current flowing through the x-ray tube, which essentially dictates the quantity of x-ray photons produced. A higher mA results in more x-ray photons being emitted, thereby increasing the radiation dose to the patient.

In fluoroscopy, where real-time imaging is conducted, the milliamperage setting can significantly impact the quality of the image and the amount of radiation exposure during the procedure. Increasing the mA increases the brightness of the images but also proportionally increases the patient dose, making it a crucial parameter in balancing image quality and radiation safety.

While exposure time, tube voltage, and image intensification can affect image quality and dose, they do not have the same direct proportionality to the exposure delivered to the patient as milliamperage does. For instance, exposure time determines how long the x-ray beam is active but does not directly control the number of photons produced. Tube voltage influences the energy (and penetrating power) of the x-ray photons but does not inherently increase the quantity. Similarly, image intensification techniques do enhance the visibility of images but do not directly