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

Using an automatic exposure control (AEC) system on a hypersthenic patient, who has a larger body habitus, typically results in increased exposure time. AEC systems are designed to automatically adjust the exposure factors based on the amount of radiation that passes through the patient to reach the detectors. In the case of a hypersthenic patient, the increased body thickness requires more time for the X-ray photons to penetrate adequately, leading the system to extend the exposure time to ensure the image is properly exposed.

This is particularly important for hypersthenic patients because their larger mass can absorb more radiation, and the AEC aims to compensate for this by allowing for a longer duration of exposure. This results in achieving the necessary receptor exposure needed to produce a diagnostic quality image.

The other options do not accurately reflect the typical outcome when imaging hypersthenic patients with AEC. For example, increased spatial resolution and decreased contrast resolution are related to image quality but are not directly impacted by the AEC settings in this scenario. Decreased receptor exposure is also unlikely since the AEC system is designed to adjust exposure parameters to ensure adequate exposure is achieved despite the patient's larger size.