Urticaria After Lidocaine Use for Pecto-Intercostal Nerve Block

Urticaria within one hour of lidocaine injection is a sign of type I (immediate) hypersensitivity to lidocaine, yet most patients suspected of having a lidocaine allergy do not exhibit urticaria. Aside from being a sign of a rare lidocaine allergy, urticaria can also be a symptom of COVID-19. COVID-19 patients who experience urticaria after receiving lidocaine require careful evaluation to determine the cause. Here, we present a case of a patient exhibiting urticaria one hour after a lidocaine injection for the Pecto-intercostal nerve block to treat COVID-19-induced costochondritis.