
An estimated 1,700 Americans went to an emergency room due to swallowing wire bristles: After having ingested wire bristles in grilled foods, according to a study published in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. One in four of those with grill brush injuries had to be admitted to the hospital.
What happens if you swallow a metal grill brush bristle?
Ingesting wire bristles from grill brushes can pose a risk of organ perforation and infection. Should a swallowed grill brush bristle puncture the intestines, bacteria can leak into the bloodstream, increasing the individual's chances of infection. Bristles, once lodged in the body, can also perforate other organs.