From the Research
The jolt accentuation test has limited usefulness in the emergency department for assessing abdominal pain, and its limitations include a lack of standardization and limited evidence supporting its diagnostic accuracy for abdominal pain. The test is not specifically designed for evaluating abdominal pain, and its application in this context is not well-established. According to the available evidence, the diagnostic accuracy of the jolt accentuation test for abdominal pain is not well-studied, and its usefulness is largely anecdotal 1. In contrast, other clinical indicators, such as the presence of "cough/hop pain" in the physical examination, have been shown to be more strongly associated with acute appendicitis (LR+ = 7.64,95% CI = 5.94-9.83) 2. The jolt accentuation test may be useful in specific contexts, such as evaluating patients with suspected peritonism, where it can be used as a simple investigation to assess for signs of peritoneal irritation 1. However, its results should be interpreted with caution and in conjunction with other clinical findings and diagnostic tests. In practice, clinicians should use a comprehensive clinical evaluation, including history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging studies, to diagnose and manage patients with abdominal pain, rather than relying solely on the jolt accentuation test 3, 4, 5.