Which shield directly contacts the patient?

Which shield directly contacts the patient?

• A. Contact shield
• B. Shadow shield
• C. Ceiling shield
• D. Floor shield

Answer: (A)

Direct contact shielding maximizes dose reduction by placing the shield right against the skin, so the tissue you want to protect is as close as possible to the attenuator. This shield, called a contact shield, is designed to sit directly on the patient to block photons before they reach sensitive tissues like the gonads or breasts. Because there’s no air gap between shield and skin, the shield absorbs more photons for a given thickness and reduces scatter to surrounding tissues more effectively than shields that don’t touch the patient. Other shields—those that are mounted overhead, on the floor, or positioned to cast a shadow—do not contact the patient. They protect by intercepting the beam path at a distance and rely on geometry and distance to reduce exposure, which can be less efficient due to gaps and the way scattered photons reach tissues. So the shield that directly contacts the patient is the contact shield.

Direct contact shielding maximizes dose reduction by placing the shield right against the skin, so the tissue you want to protect is as close as possible to the attenuator. This shield, called a contact shield, is designed to sit directly on the patient to block photons before they reach sensitive tissues like the gonads or breasts. Because there’s no air gap between shield and skin, the shield absorbs more photons for a given thickness and reduces scatter to surrounding tissues more effectively than shields that don’t touch the patient.

Other shields—those that are mounted overhead, on the floor, or positioned to cast a shadow—do not contact the patient. They protect by intercepting the beam path at a distance and rely on geometry and distance to reduce exposure, which can be less efficient due to gaps and the way scattered photons reach tissues. So the shield that directly contacts the patient is the contact shield.