Teen Hospitalized After Swallowing Grill Brush Bristle From Brand Tied to Recent Recall
A Minnesota teenager underwent emergency surgery after unknowingly swallowing a metal grill brush bristle that had dislodged into his burger during a Memorial Day weekend barbecue.
Noah Walden, of Stillwater, Minnesota, ate two burgers cooked on his family's backyard grill on May 26. He said he neither tasted nor felt anything unusual at the time. "I had two burgers, and my guess is one of them had the grill bristle in it, and I swallowed it," Walden told WCCO.
Symptoms Worsened Over Days
About three days after the barbecue, Walden began experiencing stomach pain that grew progressively worse. He described being unable to lie down comfortably and eventually told his parents he needed to go to the emergency room. His parents took him in the middle of the night a few days later, after his condition continued to deteriorate.
On June 3, a CT scan revealed the metal bristle had become lodged in Walden's bowel and had begun puncturing his intestine. Doctors performed emergency surgery the following day, June 4, making a six-inch incision and removing about three inches of his bowel. Walden remained hospitalized until June 7, spending a total of four days in the hospital before doctors determined surgery was necessary.
Family Urges Others to Ditch Wire Brushes
Walden's mother, Amie Walden, said the family immediately threw away its wire grill brush once they learned what had caused the injury. She is now urging other families to get rid of similar brushes, saying the tiny metal wires can be difficult to spot once they break off and remain on a grill surface or in food.
Walden also has advice for others grilling this summer: "Do a lot of chewing when you're grilling, especially if you have a wire grill brush."
Part of a Larger Recall Pattern
Walden's case comes amid a wave of recalls tied to metal wire bristle grill brushes. Nexgrill recalled roughly 10.2 million brushes on March 26 over ingestion hazards, after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission received reports of at least 68 instances of bristles detaching, including five cases in which consumers swallowed metal bristles and sought medical treatment. Weber recalled an additional 3.2 million wire bristle brushes on Feb. 26, following at least 38 reports of detached bristles and four reports of consumers seeking medical treatment to remove bristles from their digestive tracts or throats.
In a statement, Nexgrill said "small metal wire bristles can detach from the brushes and stick to the grill or food, posing an ingestion hazard or risk of serious internal injuries that could require surgery." Consumers who purchased the affected brush models are advised to stop using them immediately and contact the manufacturers for a refund or replacement.
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