Speed Bumps Can Help Diagnose Appendicitis

By Nishtha Jain

A famous proverb suggests, “Maybe life gives us speed bumps—just so we will slow down!”

Appendicitis is a well-known medical term, referring to swelling or inflammation of the appendix, a useless vestigial organ. The relationship between this common ailment and speed bumps is surprising!

What Happens If Not Diagnosed Early?

Diagnosing appendicitis in early stages remains a challenge due to its non-specific or atypical clinical manifestations. It becomes more severe if left untreated. With untreated appendicitis, the mortality rate is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to infection and inflammation of the intestinal lining and eventual sepsis, (clinically known as peritonitis), which could be fatal. Earlier studies have found that risk of rupture in the following 12-hour period rises to 5% after 36 hours of untreated symptoms.

Findings From a Novel Study

A recent study has claimed that feeling pain while travelling over speed bumps shows a high sensitivity (97%), but a low specificity (30%) for the diagnosis of appendicitis. The study was conducted on 101 adults who were referred to hospitals for suspected appendicitis on the basis of pain experienced while travelling over speed bumps. All participants were questioned within 24 hours of their journey to the hospital and were grouped as “speed-bump positive” if the speed bumps made their pain worse, or “speed-bump negative” if their pain remained the same or improved.

Suggestion for Medical Practitioners

This finding sheds new light on an important diagnostic technique that should be considered before starting the diagnostic processes for appendicitis. Speed bump pain, hence, either helps in diagnosing appendicitis more accurately or completely negates the necessity of starting the treatment. It may thus be concluded that questioning patients about their sensitivity to speed bumps along with other clinical symptoms should form part of the routine assessment for patients with suspected appendicitis.