phrase
General Slang
masterly inactivity
MASS-ter-lee in-ak-TIV-it-ee · phrase · informal
Deliberately doing nothing and watching the patient
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Definitions
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The considered strategy of active observation without intervention, letting a condition declare itself; abbreviated MICO ('masterly inactivity and cautious observation').
“No need to operate tonight — masterly inactivity and reassess in the morning.”
by community
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masterly inactivity In A Sentence
No need to operate tonight — masterly inactivity and reassess in the morning.
Origin & Usage
Old British clinical adage that survives as semi-ironic slang.
Variants
MICO
People Also Ask
What does 'masterly inactivity' mean?
It is the deliberate strategy of watching a patient closely without intervening, letting a condition declare itself rather than acting prematurely.
What does MICO stand for?
'Masterly Inactivity and Cautious Observation,' the fuller form of the phrase.
Is doing nothing really a strategy?
Yes — active observation is a legitimate clinical approach when intervention carries more risk than watchful waiting. The phrase is used half-seriously, half-ironically.
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