During which procedure is the exposure to the patient likely to be the highest?

Fluoroscopy is a procedure that involves the continuous exposure of the patient to x-rays to obtain real-time images of the body, making it one of the highest radiation exposure procedures among the options listed. Unlike standard x-rays or mammograms, which typically involve a single, brief exposure to capture an image, fluoroscopy requires an ongoing x-ray beam to visualize moving structures within the body, such as during gastrointestinal studies or interventional procedures.

This continuous imaging results in a significantly higher dose of radiation compared to the other procedures. For instance, a standard chest x-ray provides a single snapshot with low exposure, and a mammogram is specifically designed to minimize radiation while still effectively screening for breast cancer. CT scans, while higher in radiation exposure compared to standard x-rays, usually involve a single scan with a specific area targeted, rather than continuous imaging.

Therefore, among these procedures, fluoroscopy poses the highest risk due to its extended duration of exposure to the patient.