Which drug is a corticosteroid used to reduce cerebral edema in brain injury?

• A. Dexamethasone
• B. Levetiracetam
• C. Acetaminophen
• D. Furosemide

Answer: (A)

Corticosteroids reduce cerebral edema by stabilizing the blood-brain barrier and dampening the inflammatory response, which decreases capillary permeability and fluid leakage into brain tissue, helping to lower intracranial pressure. Dexamethasone is the corticosteroid of choice for this purpose because it has strong anti-inflammatory effects and penetrates CNS tissue well, effectively reducing vasogenic edema associated with brain injury, tumors, or inflammatory processes. This helps improve neurologic status by limiting swelling around injured brain areas. The other options don’t provide this specific anti-edema action: levetiracetam is an anticonvulsant, acetaminophen is a pain/fever reducer without edema effect, and furosemide is a diuretic with a more general fluid-reduction role not targeted to cerebral edema in brain injury.