Is the following statement true: An anti-inflammatory dose of steroids given for less than 10-14 days typically does not require tapering.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not enough information
• D. It depends on the patient

Answer: (A)

Short courses of glucocorticoids given at anti-inflammatory doses usually do not significantly suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Tapering is mainly to avoid adrenal withdrawal and rebound inflammation when the drug exposure is longer or the dose is high enough to cause meaningful HPA suppression. For a brief course—typically under about two weeks—the body's cortisol production tends to resume quickly once the medication is stopped, so stopping abruptly is generally safe. The main idea is that the risk of withdrawal or adrenal insufficiency is low with short, low-dose therapy, which is why tapering is not usually required. Exceptions exist if a patient has a history of long-term steroid use, very high doses, or other conditions affecting cortisol production, but in the standard scenario described, the statement holds true.