What term refers to the anti-inflammatory actions and immune suppression produced by certain medications?

• A. Effects of steroids
• B. Gout
• C. Physical therapy
• D. Anesthetic

Answer: (A)

Anti-inflammatory actions and immune suppression produced by certain medications describe what steroids do. Corticosteroids blunt inflammation by inhibiting pathways that generate inflammatory mediators, such as blocking phospholipase A2 and reducing prostaglandin and leukotriene production, and they dampen the immune response by lowering cytokine production and immune cell activity. That makes the term describing these effects the effects of steroids. The other options don’t capture this pharmacologic profile: gout is a crystal-associated inflammatory condition, physical therapy is a non-drug management approach, and an anesthetic blocks pain but doesn’t provide sustained anti-inflammatory or immune-suppressing effects.