en Host-pathogen interactions and susceptibility factors Host-pathogen interactions and susceptibility factors Short communication Short communication <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Effective hand hygiene (HH) is a cornerstone of infection prevention in healthcare settings, particularly in tertiary cardiac care centers where healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose significant risks. This cross-sectional study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices of HH among 661 nursing staff (98.3% of 661 respondents; response rate 65.4% of 1,010 total staff)<b>,</b> at a tertiary cardiac care center in Ahmedabad, India. The survey, conducted via an online questionnaire (Google Forms), used an instrument with high internal consistency (Cronbach&#39;s &alpha; = 0.89), revealed a mean knowledge score of 84.1%, an attitude score of 88.8%, and a practice score of 87.6%. Critical care nurses and staff with over 5 years of experience exhibited significantly higher knowledge scores compared to their counterparts (<i>P</i> < 0.001), while less experienced staff reported lower practice adherence. Positive attitudes were prevalent, with 94.4% willing to promote HH, though workload was cited by 64.9% of respondents as a major barrier to compliance. These findings highlight the need for targeted education for novice staff, workload<b> </b>management strategies, and continuous monitoring to sustain optimal HH compliance and mitigate HAI-related pathogen transmission.</span></span></span></div> <br> &nbsp; Hand Hygiene, Healthcare Staff, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Tertiary Cardiac Care, Infection, Prevention 315 318 http://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-569-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mitali Maradia drmittali@gmail.com 0009-0001-7410-0341 Yes U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (Affiliated with B. J. Medical College), New Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380006, Gujarat, India Shivani Gajjar shivanipavan@gmail.com 0009-0006-1684-818X No U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (Affiliated with B. J. Medical College), New Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380006, Gujarat, India shubendu Bajpai bhajpaishubhendu@gmail.com 0009-0004-3795-9861 No U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (Affiliated with B. J. Medical College), New Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380006, Gujarat, India Dipika Patel dip5071994@gmail.com 0009-0002-5311-6712 No U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (Affiliated with B. J. Medical College), New Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380006, Gujarat, India Augustina Christian augustina_c@yahoo.com 0009-0007-8096-2697 No U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (Affiliated with B. J. Medical College), New Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380006, Gujarat, India Dhara Patel dhararitenpatel11984@gmail.com 0009-0009-2650-151X No U. N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (Affiliated with B. J. Medical College), New Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380006, Gujarat, India Ivianjalina Khristi evafarmar30@gmail.com 0009-0008-7316-2568 No U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India