Which of the following are considered manual exposure controls?

The identification of manual exposure controls is centered around the key factors that a radiologic technologist can adjust to influence the amount of radiation exposure during a procedure. The combination of milliampere-seconds (mA), kilovolt peak (kVp), and exposure time represents the fundamental parameters that directly affect the quality and quantity of radiation emitted from the x-ray tube.

mA controls the current flow through the x-ray tube and, consequently, the amount of x-rays produced; higher mA results in a greater number of x-ray photons. kVp determines the energy level, or penetration power, of the x-rays; higher kVp settings allow x-rays to penetrate denser tissues better, which can be vital for producing high-quality images. Exposure time, measured in seconds, dictates how long the x-ray beam is emitted, thus influencing the total exposure the patient receives.

This set of parameters enables the operator to tailor the imaging process to the specific diagnostic needs while considering patient safety and image quality. Therefore, mA, kVp, and exposure time collectively serve as the manual exposure controls that can be adjusted to achieve optimal imaging results.