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.