Which medication is used for acute spinal cord injury?

• A. Ibuprofen
• B. No pharmacological therapy
• C. High-dose methylprednisolone
• D. Low-dose methylprednisolone

Answer: (C)

When spinal cord tissue is injured, a second wave of damage often happens from inflammation and swelling. The goal of pharmacologic therapy in the acute phase is to limit that secondary injury and protect neural tissue. High-dose methylprednisolone taken soon after injury has been used because it can blunt the inflammatory response and reduce lipid peroxidation, potentially limiting further cellular damage. The typical approach involves a rapid initial bolus followed by a continued infusion over many hours to maintain its anti-inflammatory effect during that critical period.

Among the options, this high-dose steroid regimen fits the idea of actively modifying the injury process in the acute phase. Ibuprofen is primarily a pain and inflammation reducer but lacks the specific neuroprotective rationale tied to this acute spinal injury protocol. Saying there is no pharmacologic therapy would ignore approaches that have historically been used to address the secondary injury process. Low-dose methylprednisolone does not provide the same level of anti-inflammatory effect and is not the regimen that has been studied for this purpose.