Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
Volume 154, Issue 4 p. 645-649
General Otolaryngology

Epidemiology of Wire-Bristle Grill Brush Injury in the United States, 2002-2014

Tiffany P. Baugh MD, 

Tiffany P. Baugh MD

University of Missouri School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia, Missouri, USA

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Jamie B. Hadley, 

Jamie B. Hadley

University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri, USA

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C. W. David Chang MD, 

Corresponding Author

C. W. David Chang MD

University of Missouri School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia, Missouri, USA

C. W. David Chang, MD, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Missouri, One Hospital Drive, MA 314, Columbia, MO 65212, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
First published: 01 March 2016
https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599815627794
Citations: 2

No sponsorships or competing interests have been disclosed for this article.

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of wire-bristle grill brush injury.

Study Design and Setting

Cross-sectional analysis of national databases; literature review.

Subjects and Methods

The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was used to derive a national weighted estimate of emergency department visits for wire bristle injury from 2002 to 2014. Date, location of injury, demographics, and outcomes were analyzed. A literature search and a consumer-reported injury database (SaferProducts.gov) were interrogated to provide ancillary sources of data.

Results

A total of 43 cases were found within the NEISS database, which extrapolated to an estimated 1698 (95% confidence interval, 1468-1927) emergency department visits nationwide. In the NEISS database, the mean age was 30 years, and the sex distribution of the patients was similar (21 males vs 22 females). The most common location of injury was the oropharynx in both the NEISS database (23 of 43, 53.4%) and the literature review (11 of 36, 30.5%). However, the oral cavity was the most frequent site in the consumer-reported SaferProducts.gov database (9 of 24, 37.5%). The majority of patients in the NEISS were treated in the emergency department (31 of 43, 69.7%). Raw case counts were highest in June, July, and August, with the highest number of events in the month of July.

Conclusion

Injury from wire-bristle grill brush is uncommon but prevalent during certain seasons. Otolaryngologists play an important in the diagnosis and treatment of these injuries. Awareness among consumers and product manufacturers is necessary to promote safety.