The Connection Bridgewater-Somerville Edition June/July/August

www.theconnectionsnj.com PAGE 55 THE DANGERS OF WIRE GRILL BRUSHES By: Todd A. Schneiderman, M.D. F.A.C.S. The otolaryngology community has been aware of the fact that wire grill brushes are a hazard. A small piece from the wire grill brush gets embedded in the food on the grill and is then lodged in the tonsil. I was con- cerned about this problem; in my house, we stopped using wire grill brushes. No more wire brushes! Last night I was called to the emergency room to see a young girl with just this problem. After eating a turkey burger, she experienced pain in the right side of the throat radiating to the right ear. Blood was found in the saliva. She went to the emergency room, where the staff could not see a foreign body. Furthermore, an x ray was initially read as unremarkable. But given that the food was cooked on a grill which had been cleaned with a wire brush, a wire foreign body seemed likely. I agreed with the radiologist’s reading that a foreign body was present. Initially her exam did not reveal anything. Further exam, includ- ing evaluation of the throat with a fiberoptic telescope, revealed a wire embedded in the back of the right tonsil, which I then removed. Here is the x ray that I saw. It was fortunate that this proce- dure could be accomplished in that setting, as sometimes a visit to the operating room is required. Other options should be considered to clean grills, such as a large sturdy spatula. Todd A. Schneiderman, M.D. F.A.C.S. 215 Union Avenue Suite C, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 908-725-5050 www.drschneiderman.com Harvard Graduate, Robert J. Bruzzichesi, DMD Participates with Most Major Insurances drborthodontics.com 20 North Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge 121 Main Street, Whitehouse Station 908.766.0111 NJ Specialty Permit #5222 Got Braces? $50 Charitable Contribution made for Every Set of Braces Placed.