How Can Medical Mold Be Detected and Tested in Medical Devices?

How can medical mold be detected and tested?
Mold is a natural part of the environment, but it can cause a variety of health problems in people. In particular, mold can trigger allergies in some people, causing stuffy noses, itchy eyes and skin, difficulty breathing, and fevers. In addition, some molds release toxic compounds called mycotoxins under certain conditions that can cause other health problems like memory loss and headaches.

How can mold be detected?
Medical mold can be identified through a variety of methods, including bioassay, biochemical assay, culture, direct microscopy, nucleic acid analysis, immunologic assay, and liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry. However, the best way to detect mold is through a visual inspection of the environment for musty odors and for any visible signs of mold growth, including the presence of black mold.

How can mold be tested?
The first step is to collect a sample of the mold. This can be done with a vacuum or swab. For practical purposes, sampling should be performed in rooms where individuals spend the majority of their time and where they believe they may be suffering from symptoms triggered by mold contamination.
Alternatively, a global specimen can be collected by placing a portion of the sample on a silicone grease or petroleum gel-covered slide and staining for characteristically shaped fungal spores. Regardless of how the sample is collected, it can be cultured to expand the number of viable spores so that other laboratory techniques can more easily identify the specific molds present.