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Steps to be taken in the event of a needlestick/bloodborne pathogen exposure

  • Steps for UTHealth Houston employees
    • Apply first aid:
      1. Clean the exposed area with soap and water for at least 15 minutes.
      2. Flush mucous membranes with water or saline for at least 15 minutes. 
    • If the source patient is known and present, keep the individual onsite for a blood draw (*see below). 
    • Notify the clinic/supervisor/hospital supervisor to report the injury. 

    UTHealth Services Clinic
    UT Professional Building
    6410 Fannin, Suite 100
    713-500-3267 (select Ext. 1)
    Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. 

    • If after hours, call the Needlestick Hotline: 800-770-9206 (24-hr answering service will ensure the exposure coordinator calls back promptly).
  • Steps for UTHealth Houston students
    • Apply first aid:
      1. Clean the exposed area with soap and water for at least 15 minutes.
      2. Flush mucous membranes with water or saline for at least 15 minutes.

    • If the source patient is known and present, keep the individual onsite for a blood draw (*see below). 
    • Notify the clinic/supervisor/hospital supervisor to report the injury. 

    UT Professional Building
    6410 Fannin St., Suite 130
    Houston, TX 77030
    Appointments: 713-500-5171
    Hours: M-F 8:30 – 5:00 PM (Appointments preferred)
    Acute illness walk-ins can be seen from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.

    • If you have an occupational exposure or needlestick at school, please call the 24-hour hotline at 713-500-OUCH (713-500-6824). Please call the emergency hotline before going to the ER.
  • For contract employees, visiting residents, fellows, or visitors
    • Apply first aid:
      1. Clean the exposed area with soap and water for at least 15 minutes.
      2. Flush mucous membranes with water or saline for at least 15 minutes.

    • If the source patient is known and present, keep the individual onsite for a blood draw. 
    • Contract employees should report exposure immediately by notifying the clinic/supervisor/hospital supervisor to report the injury and ensure the source patient’s blood is tested. 
    • A non-UTH employee who is exposed to blood may register as a patient at UTHealth Services or be seen by their employer’s occupational health provider. Source patient information for a non-UTH employee will be relayed to the appropriate agency’s infection safety officer, occupational health provider, or county health authority.

    Guest, Visitors Incident Form

    All guests/visitors who need to report an incident taking place on UTHealth Houston property should use the appropriate form below.

*In the state of Texas, you have the right to the identification, documentation, testing, and results of the source individual’s infectious disease status. Arrangements should be made immediately with UT Health Services or the hospital where the incident takes place for testing the source individual. UT Physicians’ outlying clinics have been provided with exposure kits to draw source patient blood onsite. Source individual testing should include HIV antibody, hepatitis C antibody, and hepatitis B surface antigen.

Outpatient Clinic Source Patient Specimen Collection Procedure 

The source patient sample kit, “Needlestick Box,” is created by Employee Health and distributed by Environmental Health and Safety to UT Physicians clinics throughout the Houston area. 

Instructions are included in the source sample kit.

If you cannot spin your sample or have questions, notify Employee Health at 713-500-3267.

If you would like to request a kit for your clinic, please call EHS Main Office at 713-500-8100.  

For urgent questions, call the Needlestick Hotline 1-800-770-9206.


Supervisor’s First Report of Injury Form

The Supervisor's First Report of Injury Form must be completed in the event of a work-related exposure, needlestick, or injury. The First Report of Injury must be completed to pay for medical bills related to work injuries or illnesses. All First Report of Injury submissions must be received by Risk Management & Insurance within three days. 

STEP 1: Complete and submit the Supervisor’s First Report of Injury Form using the link below.  

STEP 2: Upon completion of this form, a document for e-signing will be sent via DocuSign/Smart Sheet to the email addresses provided on the form for final review and signatures. 

Supervisor's First Report of Injury

Risk of Infection

Risk of HIV Infection

Occupational HIV transmission is extremely rare. The estimated risk of HIV infection from a sharps injury is about 0.3% (1 in 300). Between 1985 and 2013, only 58 cases of confirmed occupational HIV transmission to health care personnel were reported in the United States, and an additional 150 possible transmissions were reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

HIV and Occupational Exposure | HIV in the Workplace | HIV/AIDS | CDC


Prophylaxis for Exposure to HIV

Occupational exposure to HIV is an urgent medical concern that should be handled immediately. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can reduce the chance of acquiring HIV infection. It must be started within 72 hours (three days) after exposure to HIV.


Risk of Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C Infection

The average risk of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in susceptible persons after percutaneous exposure to HBV-infected blood is 6-30%. The risk of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after percutaneous exposure to HCV-infected blood is 7.4% (95% Cl 3.9%-12.5%). 

CDC - Bloodborne Infectious Diseases - Stop Sticks: Bloodborne Pathogens - NORA

UT Health Services

A Workplace Partner
A Health Care Home

Call 713-500-3267 or

Request Appointment Online

6410 Fannin St., Suite 100
Houston, TX 77030

Supervisor's First Report
of Injury

A convenient Supervisor's First Report of Injury form is now available for tracking workplace injuries and mishaps. Additional information and training resources are available to UTHealth Houston employees on the Employee Health intranet.

Employee Resources