From 2002 to 2014, more than 1,600 people went to the emergency room because of injuries from wire-bristle grill brushes, according to new research.
Loose bristles can fall off the brush during cleaning and end up in the grilled food, which, if eaten, can lead to injuries in the mouth, throat, and tonsils.
“Wire-bristle brush injuries are a potential consumer safety issue, so it is important that people, manufacturers, and health providers be aware of the problem,” says David Chang, an associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. “If doctors are unaware that this problem exists, they may not order the appropriate tests or capture the correct patient history to reach the right diagnosis.”
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