Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Brazilian Journal of Clinical Medicine and Review

Health Review

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2024): April/June - 2024

Toothbrush Swallow: A Scoping Review

DOI
https://doi.org/10.52600/2965-0968.bjcmr.2024.2.2.42-53
Submitted
November 23, 2023
Published
2023-12-21

Abstract

The ingestion of foreign bodies is a frequent problem in the emergency services of hospitals, but the ingestion of a toothbrush is very rare and, because it is large, it entails potential complications. The objective of the present study was to investigate, through a scoping review, the etiology of toothbrush ingestion. This review intends to describe all clinical cases of toothbrush ingestion mentioned in the main databases. Initially, 136 studies were selected, 31 duplicate studies were excluded, resulting in a final sample of 32 articles in 114 minutes of work, divided into 28 sessions in the Rayyan application. Incidents with foreign bodies are common in Otolaryngology and Surgery practice, however, toothbrush swallow is rare. In this study it was found that most cases of toothbrush ingestion were intentional (bulimia, induction of vomiting and mental disorder) and the Toothbrushes that appear in the gastrointestinal tract are placed by the own patients accidentally or intentionally and rarely by someone else.

References

  1. Martinez V. Cuerpos extranos en otorrinopediatria. In: Sih T, Chinski A, Ezequiel RD, Godinho R, editors. V Manual de Otorrinolaringologia Pediatrica de la IAPO. Sao Paulo; 2006. p. 62-4.
  2. Jackson C. Foreign bodies in the air and food passages. In: Maloney WH, editor. Otolaryngology. Maryland: Harper & Row; 1972.
  3. Ollero Fresno JC, Sanz Villa N, Álvarez Calatayud G, Otero Carrasco J. Ingestión de un cepillo de dientes: Primer signo de alarma de bulimia. Acta Pediatr Esp. 2006;64(2):79-81.
  4. Kirk AD, Bowers BA, Moylan J, Meyers W. Toothbrush swallowing. Arch Surg. 1988;123(3):382-4.
  5. Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. [Internet]. The PRISMA Group. 2020 [cited 2020 Oct 14]. Available from: https://www.goodreports.org/prisma
  6. Farahnak MR, Araghi S, Nikakhlagh S, Saki N. Toothbrush: A report of an unusual foreign body. Iran J Otorhinolaryngol. 2015;27(80):247-9.
  7. Mughal M. Accidental ingestion of a toothbrush. Arch Emerg Med. 1986;46 Suppl 1:119-23.
  8. Corina Serer, Hernandez B, Lugo F. Guess what I swallowed for dinner? A toothbrush! AJG. 2001. p. 288-9.
  9. Amone D, Okot C, Mugabi P, Okello TR, Ogwang DM. Case Report: Swallowed toothbrush in the stomach of a 56-year female at St Mary’s Hospital Lacor, Uganda. AAS Open Res. 2018;1:5.
  10. Chao HH, Chao TC. Perforation of the duodenum by an ingested toothbrush. World J Gastroenterol. 2008;14(27):4410-2.
  11. Mesa-López MJ, Martínez-Camacho C, Mesa F. Accidentally swallowing a toothbrush in a patient during a vomiting attempt: A literature review and case report. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(5):10-4.
  12. Harvey M, Cave G, Prince G. Endoscopic removal of an inadvertently swallowed toothbrush in the emergency department. Case Rep Emerg Med. 2012;2012:1-3.
  13. Niknam R, Mahmoudi L, Nasseri-Moghaddam S. An incidentally swallowed toothbrush. Arch Iran Med. 2012;15(3):177-8.
  14. Cox D, Donohue P, Costa V. A swallowed toothbrush causing perforation 2 years after ingestion. Br J Hosp Med. 2007;68(10):559.
  15. Pont AR, Ramirez I, Garcia RJ. Enemy at the (Col)Gates: A case of repeated intentional toothbrush ingestion. Am J Gastro-enterol. 2019;00(638):s373.
  16. Sewpaul A, Shaban F, Venkatasubramaniam AK, Tennant D, Kelly SB. The case of the forgotten toothbrush. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2012;3(5):184-5.
  17. Fysh T. Swallowed toothbrush. J R Soc Med. 2004;97(5):257.
  18. Wishner JD, Rogers AM. Laparoscopic removal of a swallowed toothbrush. Surg Endosc. 1997;11(5):472-3.
  19. Faust J, Schreiner O. A swallowed toothbrush. Lancet. 2001;357(9261):1012.
  20. Burduk PK. Parapharyngeal space foreign body. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2006;263(8):772-4.
  21. Kim IH, Choi KH, Kang HK, Hong SH, Woo KS, Lee SO, et al. Journey of a swallowed toothbrush to the colon. Korean J Intern Med. 2007;22(2):106-8.
  22. Kim JS, Kwon SH, Lee EJ. Shiny foreign body in the frontal sinus causing epidural abscess. Ear Nose Throat J. 2020;99(2):109-10.
  23. Tonkic A, Bogdanovic Z, Grandić L. Successful endoscopic removal of a swallowed toothbrush: Case report. Case Rep Gas-troenterol. 2011;5(1):122-4.
  24. Lee MR, Hwang Y, Kim JH. A case of colohepatic penetration by a swallowed toothbrush. World J Gastroenterol. 2006;12(15):2464-5.
  25. Chinitz MA, Bertrand G. Endoscopic removal of toothbrushes. Gastrointest Endosc. 1990;36(5):527-30.
  26. Karcher JC, von Buch C, Waag KL, Reinshagen K. Gastrobronchial fistula after toothbrush ingestion. J Pediatr Surg. 2006;41(10):1768-70.
  27. Lu XL, Cao HL, Qian KD. Endoscopic removal of an accidentally swallowed toothbrush. Intern Med. 2008;47(20):1797-8.
  28. Johnson CA. The swallowing of a full-sized toothbrush: Report of a case from the Los Angeles General Hospital. Cal West Med. 1927;26(2):210.
  29. Dinesh Gowda, Familua O, Nageshwar S. Toothbrush ingestion leading to laparotomy. Am Surg. 2010;76(11):E193-4.
  30. Wilcox DT, Karamanoukian HL, Gorczyca JT. Toothbrush ingestion by bulimics may require laparotomy. J Pediatr Surg. 1994;29(12):1596.
  31. Chandail VS, Jamwal V. Two cases of accidentally swallowed toothbrush; a clue to bulimia nervosa. JK Science. 2011;13(1):52.
  32. Klancnik M, Grgec M, Perković N, Ivanišević P, Poljak NK. A foreign body (Toothbrush) in the esophagus of a patient with hiatal hernia. Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2017;11(1):184-9.
  33. Jamal K, Shaunak S, Kalsi S, Nehra D. Successful laparoscopic removal of an ingested toothbrush. J Surg Tech Case Rep. 2013;5(2):99-102.
  34. Murari A, Piukala S. An ingested toothbrush. Pac Health Dialog. 2010;16(2):75-7.
  35. Stack LB, Munter DW. Foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 1996;14(3):493.
  36. Nastoulis E, Karakasi MV, Alexandri M, Thomaidis V, Fiska A, Pavlidis P. Foreign bodies in the abdominal area: Review of the literature. Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove). 2019;62(3):85-93.
  37. Borges NJ, Sicchieri JM, Ribeiro RP, Santos JE. Transtornos alimentares - quadro clínico. Medicina (Ribeirão Preto). 2006;39(3):340-8.