medical decision support medical decision support
Sign In

Interpretation of a Direct-to-Consumer Urine Test for Mycotoxins

Description

Some laboratories offer to detect human intoxication with mycotoxins based on direct-to-consumer testing of urine or other human samples. Some people believe that they have been exposed to mycotoxins when no objective evidence can be found despite a thorough examination. Such people may be susceptible to quack cures and misinformation, resulting in potentially expensive or dangerous interventions..


 

Issues in the interpretation of human specimens for mycotoxins:

(1) Any test performed on human samples must be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and shown to be valid for the diagnosis of mycotoxin poisoning. Currently many tests for mycotoxins have not been validated and are sold illegally.

(2) The laboratory performing the test must have a valid CLIA certificate.

(3) Many foods contain trace amounts of mycotoxins and the presence of low levels of mycotoxins in the urine are found in normal, healthy persons.

 

The diagnosis of mycotoxin exposure should be based on examination of the implicated site using an established protocol.

 

The diagnosis of mycotoxin intoxication can be difficult and should only be performed by a physician with specialized training.

 


To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.

Specialty