What KVP adjustment is recommended for a plaster cast?

When imaging a patient with a plaster cast, it is important to adjust the kilovolt peak (KVP) to adequately penetrate the increased density created by the cast material. Plaster casts are dense and can obscure the underlying anatomy, making it necessary to increase the KVP to ensure proper visualization.

Increasing the KVP by 10 is a standard recommendation because it provides a good balance, enhancing the x-ray beam's penetrating ability without excessively increasing patient dose. This adjustment allows for the capture of clearer images while still accommodating the additional material over the body part being examined.

Other adjustments, such as increasing the KVP by 5 or 15, may either be insufficient to penetrate the cast adequately or may result in overly high exposure, leading to potential contrast issues in the resultant image. Maintaining the KVP unchanged would not compensate for the density introduced by the plaster, which could lead to poor image quality and the risk of misdiagnosis. Thus, the recommended value for KVP adjustment when dealing with a plaster cast is an increase of 10.