Transmission of bloodborne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) to healthcare workers at emergency departments is a matter of great concern. 1,2 The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of seropositivity to HIV-1, HBV, and HCV among patients admitted in the Clinical Emergency Unit and the Trauma Unit of a tertiary hospital and reference trauma center in the Federal District of Brazil from November to December 1995. During this period, blood samples drawn for routine examinations from patients over 11 years of age admitted to those units were tested anonymously for HIV-1, HBV, and HCV serologies. Eight hundred twenty-six blood samples were collected: 549 from patients admitted to the Clinical Emergency Unit and 277 from patients admitted to the Trauma Unit. The prevalence ratio of bloodborne viruses in this population was compared with that obtained at the Central Blood Bank of Brasilia during the same period in 1995. Each serum sample was tested for the presence of antibodies to HIV-1, HBV, and HCV in the Health Institute of the Federal District according to standard techniques.