A Bolivian woman died after her friend allegedly added urine to an intravenous injection, a controversial but popular medical practice. Urine therapy is a means of using urine, either internally or externally, in order to sustain health. Practitioners have claimed that urine therapy can aid in a variety of illnesses.
The patient, Gabriela Ascarrunz, was originally admitted to the hospital for treatment of an intestinal obstruction. Her friend, fashion designer Monica Schultz, allegedly administered the urine through a serum that Ascarrunz was receiving intravenously while recovering from surgery. Schultz, is currently in the United States promoting a new line of clothing. She maintains her innocence despite an arrest order.
According to a doctor, Shultz was expelled from the hospital as soon as Ascarrunz’s father realized that urine had been injected. It is unclear whether Ascarrunz practiced urine therapy, and officials have yet to determine the source of the urine.