Wire brush bristles are why hundreds of people in the U.S. are sent to the emergency room each year.
Summer has arrived, and that means grilling season has come back after its winter hibernation. But as Americans enjoy grilling their burgers, chicken, and vegetables, there’s one ingredient of which you want to steer clear – the short, metal brushes used to clean the grill!
According to Brian Curtis, M.D., vice president of the Clinical Specialty Services at OSF HealthCare, “There are about 150-200 cases a year that occur in the United States. They may be underreported, but those are the ones we know about.”
While barbecues over an outdoor grill are a great way for people to come together and enjoy a meal, Dr. Curtis advised it could be an extremely painful experience if you end up swallowing a bristle from a wire brush.
“The bristles can become embedded in your tongue, in the back of your throat, esophagus, stomach, and small intestine,” he noted. “They can cause perforations, because it’s like swallowing a small needle. There are people every year who have surgeries trying to find these small objects, because they are very tiny.
How, then, can you keep your food on the grill from getting an unwanted extra ingredient? It’s all about preparation.
“You can use aluminum foil. Some people use nylon (scrapers),” Dr. Curtis remarked. “I just use a wool brush on mine. If you don’t want to do away with the wire brush, then you really have to inspect your grill very closely to make sure there’s nothing stuck on it.”
Please note: If you believe you’ve swallowed a wire brush bristle, you need to be evaluated immediately, the doctor advised.