Dose creep is the gradual increase in patient dose due to overreliance on automatic systems and practice drift. How can it be prevented?

• A. Technique Validation, Dose Monitoring, and Adherence to Technique Charts
• B. Sudden Changes in technique without QA
• C. Only rely on automatic exposure controls
• D. Ignore dose tracking and documentation

Answer: (A)

Preventing dose creep comes from a structured QA approach that validates exposure techniques, monitors patient dose, and enforces standardized technique charts. Technique validation ensures the exposure values in charts reflect actual patient sizes and clinical needs and stay accurate after equipment changes. Dose monitoring tracks dose indices and compares them to reference levels so gradual increases are spotted early and investigated. Adherence to technique charts keeps radiographers applying the predefined, tested exposure settings for each exam, reducing drift and overreliance on automatic controls. Together, these practices provide feedback and accountability, catching shifts in practice before doses rise consistently. Relying only on automatic exposure controls, making sudden changes without QA, or ignoring dose tracking would not prevent creep.