Which practice can help reduce motion artifacts in radiography?

Encouraging patients to hold their breath during the image capture is an effective practice for reducing motion artifacts in radiography. Motion artifacts result from any movement of the patient during the imaging process. These artifacts can lead to blurring or distortion in the final image, compromising diagnostic quality.

By asking patients to hold their breath, technologists can minimize any involuntary movements, particularly from breathing. This is especially vital in imaging areas like the chest or abdomen, where movement can significantly affect the clarity and detail necessary for accurate diagnosis.

Other techniques may also contribute to improved image quality, but they do not directly address the core issue of patient movement as effectively as breath-holding. For instance, increasing the radiation dose or exposure time could improve image quality by enhancing signal; however, they do not inherently control for motion. Using film-screen systems also relates to image quality but doesn’t mitigate motion artifacts directly. Therefore, encouraging breath-holding focuses specifically on preventing the distortion caused by patient movement during the imaging process.