Wire grill brush bristle as an unusual foreign body: Report of two pediatric cases

Abstract

Wire grill brushes are commonly used for cleaning grill grates. Accidental ingestion of a wire bristle from a grill-cleaning brush is a rarely reported foreign body, with only three prior case reports. Although scarce in the literature, we encountered two pediatric cases at the regional children's hospital within 1 year. By presenting these two cases, our goal was to raise awareness of this potentially hazardous foreign body. Additionally, we raise a consumer safety issue associated with the use of wire grill-cleaning brushes as there are currently no ingestion hazard warnings on these products. Laryngoscope,, 2011.

The Dangers of Barbecuing: An Interesting Case of a Foreign Body in the Throat

“…Grill wire brushes are a rarely reported, accidental FB ingestion, although recent literature suggests that it is more common than once thought 1. Recently there have been increasing, albeit few, case reports describing grill-wire brush ingestion and their potential complications, which include esophageal perforation, effusion, abscess, and death 2,3,4. This case demonstrates that patients with a clinical history suggestive of grill-wire brush FB should be considered for CT imaging, even in the absence of other physical findings.…”

Removal of a Wire Brush Bristle from the Hypopharynx Using Suspension, Microscope, and Fluoroscopy

“…A history of grilled meat ingestion and use of a grill brush is particularly important [ 3 ]. Bristles can lodge anywhere near the aerodigestive tract and have been reported in various locations, including lingual tonsil [ 3 , 5 ], base of tongue [ 2 , 3 , 12 ], esophagus [ 1 ], vallecula [ 2 ], parapharyngeal space [ 5 ], and also further down the gastrointestinal tract (small intestine, colon, and omentum) [ 3 ]. Some authors suggest that patients be advised to stop ingesting food once bristle ingestion is suspected, as this may force the object further down the digestive tract or deeper into the submucosa [ 10 ].…”

“…Reported cases of ingestion of these foreign bodies are relatively rare, but awareness of this risk has increased in recent years [ 1 – 4 ]. Many physicians have called for better warning labels on grill brushes to increase public awareness [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]. Due to these recent reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2012 urged physicians and consumers to be aware of wire brush bristle ingestion as a hazard of outdoor grilling and urged that cases be reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) [ 6 ].…”

Outdoor grilling hazard: Wire bristle esophageal foreign body—a report of six cases

“…A high level of suspicion should be maintained in patients with history of acute onset dysphagia and odynophagia after ingestion of food cooked on outdoor grills. Arganbright highlights this in a recent report of two pediatric cases in which the diagnosis was delayed secondary to the lack of physical and radiographic findings 10. During patient interview, specific inquiry as to whether a wire bristle brush was used in the cleaning of the grill should be entertained.…”