Research has found that driving over speed bumps can potentially diagnose acute appendicitis.
The British scientists that made this discovery have been honoured at this year’s Ig Nobel awards, a parody of the Nobel prizes which celebrates achievements that make people “laugh, then think”.
A team from Oxford University, led by Dr Helen Ashdown, found that a yelp of pain from a patient when they were driven over speed bumps was indicative of acute appendicitis. In an experiment by the team, the speed bump test picked up on 97 per cent of people already diagnosed with the condition.
The test was, however, not so good at avoiding “false positive” identification of those who were free of the complaint.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, the Oxford University research team concluded: “Presence of pain while travelling over speed bumps was associated with an increased likelihood of acute appendicitis.
“As a diagnostic variable, it compared favourably with other features commonly used in clinical assessment.
“Speed bumps may have a useful alternative benefit in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.”
The team received their Ig Nobel award at Harvard University in America. As a sign of how unorthodox the Ig Noble awards can be, other research commended this year include one report about the most painful place to receive a bee sting.
