Which of the following is most likely to require the lowest patient exposure?

Choosing to change from an 8:1 grid technique to a nongrid technique is most likely to result in the lowest patient exposure. Grids are used in radiographic imaging to improve image quality by reducing scatter radiation that can fog the image, but they also require an increase in the radiation dose to achieve the necessary image quality. When transitioning to a nongrid technique, the amount of radiation needed to produce an acceptable image typically decreases, as there is no need to compensate for scatter with additional dose.

By eliminating the grid, less radiation is needed to achieve diagnostic quality images, leading to a reduction in patient exposure. This is particularly significant in routine imaging where the benefit of a grid may not outweigh the increase in dose.

The other scenarios involve adjustments that generally either maintain or increase patient exposure. For example, decreasing kilovoltage while doubling milliampere-seconds usually balances exposure but does not necessarily minimize it. Similarly, increasing kilovoltage while halving milliampere-seconds may optimize image quality but does not guarantee reduced exposure, and changing collimation affects the area being irradiated but might not reduce the dose proportionately. Therefore, the choice to use a nongrid technique is the most effective way to minimize radiation exposure to the