Watchful waiting

Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting
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Watchful waiting (also watch and wait or WAW) is an approach to a medical problem in which time is allowed to pass before medical intervention or therapy is used. During this time, repeated testing may be performed.

Related terms include expectant management,^[1]^[2] active surveillance (especially active surveillance of prostate cancer),^[3] and masterly inactivity.^[4] The term masterly inactivity is also used in nonmedical contexts.^[5]

A distinction can be drawn between watchful waiting and medical observation,^[6] but some sources equate the terms.^[7]^[8] Usually, watchful waiting is an outpatient process and may have a duration of months or years. In contrast, medical observation is usually an inpatient process, often involving frequent or even continuous monitoring and may have a duration of hours or days.

^ Pestana, Carlos (7 April 2020). Pestana's Surgery Notes (Fifth ed.). Kaplan Test Prep. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-1506254340. Signs of a fracture affecting the base of the skull include raccoon eyes, rhinorrhea, and otorrhea or ecchymosis behind the ear. Expectant management is the rule. From our perspective, the significance of a base of the skull fracture is that it indicates that the patient sustained very severe head trauma
^ "Definition of expectant management - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms".
^ "Watchful Waiting or Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer".
^ Vaile JC, Griffith MJ (September 1997). "Management of asymptomatic aortic stenosis: masterly inactivity but cat-like observation". Heart. 78 (3): 215–7. doi:10.1136/hrt.78.3.215. PMC 484918. PMID 9391278.
^ "Masterly Inactivity - TIME". Time. 1952-08-18. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
^ "Australian Prostate Cancer Website".
^ "Prostate cancer guide - MayoClinic.com".
^ "Definition of watchful waiting - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms". January 1980.

[PestanaExpectant-1] Pestana, Carlos (7 April 2020). Pestana's Surgery Notes (Fifth ed.). Kaplan Test Prep. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-1506254340. Signs of a fracture affecting the base of the skull include raccoon eyes, rhinorrhea, and otorrhea or ecchymosis behind the ear. Expectant management is the rule. From our perspective, the significance of a base of the skull fracture is that it indicates that the patient sustained very severe head trauma

[2] "Definition of expectant management - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms".

[3] "Watchful Waiting or Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer".

[pmid9391278-4] Vaile JC, Griffith MJ (September 1997). "Management of asymptomatic aortic stenosis: masterly inactivity but cat-like observation". Heart. 78 (3): 215–7. doi:10.1136/hrt.78.3.215. PMC 484918. PMID 9391278.

[urlMasterly_Inactivity_-_TIME-5] "Masterly Inactivity - TIME". Time. 1952-08-18. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-27.

[urlAustralian_Prostate_Cancer_Website-6] "Australian Prostate Cancer Website".

[urlProstate_cancer_guide_-_MayoClinic.com-7] "Prostate cancer guide - MayoClinic.com".

[urlDefinition_of_watchful_waiting_-_NCI_Dictionary_of_Cancer_Terms-8] "Definition of watchful waiting - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms". January 1980.

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