What effect will occur when using an automatic exposure control (AEC) to image a hypersthenic patient?

When using automatic exposure control (AEC) to image a hypersthenic patient, increased exposure time is a likely outcome. AEC systems are designed to terminate the exposure once a predetermined level of radiation has been detected, which can vary depending on patient size and composition. Hypersthenic patients, who tend to have a larger body habitus and thicker tissues, may require a longer exposure time to allow for adequate penetration of the x-rays through the denser tissues. This is necessary to obtain an image that accurately represents the structures being examined.

In contrast, other effects such as increased spatial resolution are not typically influenced by the AEC settings but rather by the imaging equipment and technique used. Decreased contrast resolution would generally indicate a less effective differentiation between different tissues on the image, which isn't a direct result of AEC functioning in relation to patient size. Decreased receptor exposure might result if the AEC miscalculates the required exposure due to the body habitus, but the use of AEC in hypersthenic patients often leads to longer exposure times as compensatory adjustments are made for thicker tissues. Hence, the increased exposure time aligns with the adjustments necessary to accommodate the patient's body features when using AEC.