Grill brush wire bristle injuries in the US were estimated at 3,739 cases from 2015 to 2023, representing a 229% increase compared with 2006 to 2014, according to a recent study.
Researchers analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a stratified sample of approximately 100 US hospitals, along with the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s SaferProducts.gov database. Cases were identified using diagnosis, body part, and product codes, with narrative review confirming foreign body ingestion from grill brush bristles. National estimates were generated using weighted sampling, and trends were assessed using linear regression.
From 2015 to 2023, 85 raw cases in the surveillance system corresponded to an estimated 3,739 injuries nationwide. Most patients were treated and released (71%), while 24% required hospital admission. No fatalities were reported.
Injuries occurred across all age groups. Patients aged 19 to 40 years accounted for 38% of cases, and those aged 41 to 60 years accounted for 34%. Pediatric patients younger than 18 years represented 14% of cases. The gender distribution was similar, with 48% of cases occurring in male patients and 52% in female patients.
The oropharynx was the most common injury site, accounting for 40% of cases, while 29% of injuries did not include a recorded location. Injuries occurred year-round but were most common in summer and least frequent in winter. The researchers noted that these injuries can be difficult to locate and remove and may require imaging or surgical intervention in some cases.
From 2006 to 2014, the estimated number of cases was 1,632. A linear regression analysis demonstrated an increase in cases over time.
A higher proportion of patients were younger than 18 years in 2006 to 2014 (30%) compared with 2015 to 2023 (14%), while race distribution, disposition, and injury location were similar between the two periods.
In the consumer-reported database, six of nine cases involved the oral cavity or oropharynx.
The researchers noted several limitations, including the small sample size, incomplete data, and limited specificity in injury location reporting. They also reported that the low frequency of these injuries reduces the precision of national estimates and limits characterization of demographic patterns.
“Although the dangers of wire grill brush bristles were published widely in the 2010s, it has not decreased the estimated incidence of injury in the United States,” wrote lead researcher Mateo O. Coppola of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania, and colleagues. The findings indicate that increased awareness over the past decade has not reduced the incidence of these injuries.
The researchers reported no conflicts of interest.
Source: International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology