Why your Sunday braai could be a brush with danger

28 May 2016 - 16:52 By TMG Digital

With gorgeous autumn weather predicted across the country for Sunday‚ a braai might seem just the thing. But be warned: more than 140 people a year end up in emergency rooms in the US with injuries caused by bristles that have fallen off the wire brushes used to clean grids.The problems arise when bristles get into food. "One little bristle unrecognised could get lodged in various areas of the body‚ whether in the throat‚ tonsil or neck region‚" said David Chang‚ of the University of Missouri School of Medicine."If the bristle passes through those regions without lodging itself‚ it could get stuck further downstream in places like the oesophagus‚ stomach or the intestine. The biggest worry is that it will lodge into those areas and get stuck in the wall of the intestine. The bristles could migrate out of the intestine and cause further internal damage."Chang's study found that 1‚698 bristle injuries were reported between 2002 and 20145. The most common injuries reported were in oral cavities‚ throats and tonsils‚ with some requiring surgery."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‚" said Chang‚ an otolaryngologist. "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."Chang reviewed consumer injury databases to determine the number of emergency department visits caused by wire-bristle injuries between 2002 and 2014. He observed that 1‚698 injuries were reported by emergency departments in that time. The most common injuries reported were in patients' oral cavities‚ throats and tonsils‚ with some injuries requiring surgery.He gave the following tips: 1. Use caution when cleaning grids with wire-bristle brushes‚ examining brushes before each use and discarding if bristles are loose. 2. Inspect your grids before cooking‚ or use alternative cleaning methods such as nylon-bristle brushes or balls of tin foil. 3. Inspect braaied food carefully after cooking to make sure bristles are not stuck to it."If cautionary measures fail and individuals do experience problems with swallowing or pain after eating something that has been barbecued or grilled‚ they should seek advice from a physician or an emergency department and let the physician know that they were just at a barbecue event or they just grilled food‚" Chang said.His study‚ "Epidemiology of Wire-Bristle Grill Brush Injury in the United States‚ 2002-2014‚" was published in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery...

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