Which action should be taken when a radiograph demonstrates inadequate penetration?

When a radiograph demonstrates inadequate penetration, increasing the kilovolt peak (kVp) is the appropriate action to take. The kVp setting controls the quality and energy of the x-ray beam produced. A higher kVp increases the penetrating power of the x-ray photons, allowing them to pass through denser body tissues and produce a more adequately exposed image. This results in better contrast and detail in the radiograph.

Inadequate penetration typically manifests as images that appear too light or lacking in contrast because the x-rays did not have enough energy to adequately traverse the anatomical area being imaged. By increasing the kVp, the radiographer enhances the energy of the x-rays, thus improving the quality of the image.

Other approaches, such as increasing exposure time or mAs (milliampere-seconds), primarily enhance the number of x-rays generated, but they do not effectively address issues of penetration. Simply adding more x-rays without improving their energy may not solve the problem of the image being under-penetrated. Changing the filter, while it can alter image characteristics, would not specifically correct inadequate penetration related to the energy of the x-rays.