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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'',〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=ACS :: Expectant Management (Watchful Waiting) )〕 ''active surveillance'' and ''masterly inactivity''. The term ''masterly inactivity'' is also used in nonmedical contexts. A distinction can be drawn between ''watchful waiting'' and ''medical observation'',〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Australian Prostate Cancer Website )〕 but some sources equate the terms.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Prostate cancer guide - MayoClinic.com )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Definition of watchful waiting - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms )〕 Usually, watchful waiting is an outpatient process and it may have a duration of months or years. In contrast, medical observation usually is an inpatient process, often involving frequent or even continuous monitoring, and may have a duration of hours or days. ==Medical uses== Often watchful waiting is recommended in situations with a high likelihood of self-resolution, in situations where there is high uncertainty concerning the diagnosis, and in situations where the risks of intervention or therapy may outweigh the benefits. Watchful waiting is often recommended for many common illnesses such as ear infections;〔(American Academy of Pediatrics )〕 because the majority of cases resolve spontaneously, antibiotics will often be prescribed only after several days of symptoms. It is also a strategy frequently used in surgery prior to a possible operation, when it is possible for a symptom (for example abdominal pain) to either improve naturally or become worse. Other examples include: * the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy * depression. * otitis media * inguinal hernia * odd behaviors in infants * Active surveillance of prostate cancer * non-symptomatic kidney stones 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「watchful waiting」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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