Post by sigurdur on Aug 31, 2016 19:25:19 GMT
ca.news.yahoo.com/canadian-surgeons-urge-people-throw-093000563.html
Canadian surgeons are urging people to throw out wire-bristled barbecue brushes, because none of them have figured out a surefire way of removing the wires when they get stuck in people's throats.
The thin, sharp wires can come off the brushes, attach to barbecue grills and cling to food without being noticed. If it's swallowed it can cause damage to the throat and epiglottis, which is the flap of cartilage that covers the opening of the windpipe when swallowing.
That's when surgeons can be called in to help.
"It's a needle in a haystack, but the haystack is your tongue," said Dr. Ian Dempsey, an otolaryngologist in Dartmouth, N.S.
"It's not an easy structure to go fishing around in, especially when it gets embedded in deeply."
Canadian surgeons are urging people to throw out wire-bristled barbecue brushes, because none of them have figured out a surefire way of removing the wires when they get stuck in people's throats.
The thin, sharp wires can come off the brushes, attach to barbecue grills and cling to food without being noticed. If it's swallowed it can cause damage to the throat and epiglottis, which is the flap of cartilage that covers the opening of the windpipe when swallowing.
That's when surgeons can be called in to help.
"It's a needle in a haystack, but the haystack is your tongue," said Dr. Ian Dempsey, an otolaryngologist in Dartmouth, N.S.
"It's not an easy structure to go fishing around in, especially when it gets embedded in deeply."