On June 21, at the height of the summer solstice, summer flowers bloom in dazzling splendor, verdant trees flourish, and the chirping of cicadas and birdsong paint a vibrant picture of the fiery, exuberant spirit of midsummer.

　　On this day, the vibrant atmosphere in the academic lecture hall of the Jiangning Campus of Nanjing Zijin Hospital was palpable. The annual hospital‑wide conference on new technologies, new projects, and research proposal submissions was in full swing. Hospital leaders, physicians from all clinical departments, heads of the Nursing Department, the Rehabilitation Therapy Center, the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, and other key clinical and administrative personnel attended the meeting.

　　At the outset of the meeting, President Ge Jiangping of Nanjing Zijin Hospital delivered an inspiring address. President Ge once again underscored the profound significance of scientific and technological innovation and research and development for the hospital’s growth. In recent years, the frequent organization of project‑proposal workshops has signaled that our hospital, as a tertiary‑level specialized rehabilitation institution, has further elevated its clinical expertise and enhanced its overall service capabilities. At the same time, President Ge expressed great anticipation for the projects presented at the session, commending the responsible officials for their tireless dedication and persistent efforts in advancing scientific research.

　　At this submission meeting, the program comprises four new technologies and projects and fourteen new research topics. Presenters took to the stage in turn to report on the rationale for project initiation, research content, feasibility and innovation, as well as preliminary experimental results, and to outline their progress plans.

　　The hospital leadership and experts reviewed the submitted project, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses and offering recommendations for improvement. They also emphasized to the applicant and team members the importance of fostering a sense of teamwork, strengthening interdepartmental collaboration, and maintaining patience and meticulous attention to detail, so that they may approach their research with clear thinking and an open, insightful mindset.

　　So, what new technologies and emerging research topics will we see in 2023? And how will they benefit patients’ rehabilitation?

1. “What should be done about the child’s constipation?”

　　Since the establishment of our hospital’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Department over three years ago, we have treated nearly 200 pediatric patients, ranging in age from 6 months to 12 years. The conditions include encephalitis, traumatic brain injury, encephalomyelitis, and various tumors. Bedridden patients account for 95% of the caseload, and constipation—a common early complication—occurs in 95% of cases. Consequently, how to employ effective nursing techniques to manage constipation, alleviate患儿’s discomfort, and reduce treatment costs has long been a key concern for Peng Yanfei, head nurse of the department, who has been actively seeking viable solutions.

　　In response to this condition, they organized training sessions on bowel management, guided the department’s nurses in performing anal stretching techniques for pediatric patients with constipation, and submitted an institutional research proposal, selecting highly skilled senior nurses to participate in the study.

2. “What is the efficacy of the Yishen Qiqiao Formula in patients with chronic disorders of consciousness?”

　　Each year, China sees 70,000 to 100,000 new cases of prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDoC), with annual treatment costs totaling 30 to 50 billion yuan. Patients with pDoC face long treatment durations, substantial economic burdens, and heavy strain on families and society. Currently, no effective therapies are available, making it crucial to employ reliable prognostic indicators to predict outcomes and develop efficient, cost‑effective treatment strategies.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine boasts a long history and extensive clinical experience in the treatment of coma. Among the herbal formulas that invigorate the mind and open the orifices, An Gong Niu Huang Wan stands out as a representative, with proven efficacy, and has emerged as a promising new approach to managing disorders of consciousness. Against the backdrop of persistently high incidence rates of post‑traumatic diffuse axonal injury (pDOC), research in TCM has become a key priority, making it imperative to investigate the clinical effectiveness of TCM interventions for pDOC. To this end, Director Liu Yafeng at our Jiangning Campus has initiated a study evaluating the clinical outcomes of combining the Yishen Qiqiao formula with comprehensive therapeutic modalities in patients with chronic disorders of consciousness.

3. “How can the resolution of calf intermuscular venous thrombosis in patients with cerebral hemorrhage be promoted?”

　　Due to cerebral hemorrhage, the body’s intrinsic coagulation response becomes abnormally hyperactive. During such events, patients are typically confined to bed with minimal movement, leading to sluggish blood flow and a shift in the blood‑flow pattern from axial to parietal. This facilitates platelet adhesion to the vessel wall and aggregation, thereby promoting thrombus formation; consequently, lower‑extremity venous thrombosis is a common complication of cerebral hemorrhage. Preventing calf intramuscular thrombosis is particularly critical, yet research in this area remains virtually nonexistent when cerebral hemorrhage is complicated by such thrombi. Therefore, it is imperative to identify a safe and effective therapeutic approach for these patients.

　　Our hospital’s Rehabilitation Therapy Center has initiated a research project titled “Observation of the Efficacy of Zhengqing Injection in Treating Lower-Extremity Intermuscular Venous Thrombosis in Patients with Cerebral Hemorrhage,” and has dispatched physicians to further their training in the technique of administering Zhengqing Fengtongning injection, thereby providing technical support for the implementation of this treatment. The study will compare the outcomes of Zhengqing Fengtongning injection therapy with those achieved by delivering Zhengqing Fengtongning via a traditional Chinese medicine–guided drug‑permeation device, in order to evaluate the efficacy of Zhengqing injection.

　　This session on the submission of new technologies, new projects, and new research topics also covers areas such as swallowing function assessment, electromyographic monitoring, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and oral sensory‑perceptual training.

　　Gao Zhiqiang, Executive Vice President of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, delivered a concluding address at this presentation session, offering commentary on the feasibility and innovativeness of various new technologies, projects, and research topics. He also set higher standards for fostering a research‑oriented atmosphere within the hospital and for advancing a culture of innovation in its scientific endeavors.

　　With one bountiful harvest each year, our hospital conducted a summary in mid-May 2023 of the new projects, technologies, and research topics initiated in 2022. Among these, the paper titled “Observation of Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety Analysis of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Moyamoya Disease,” authored by Director Wang Xia of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, was published in Volume 20, Issue 3 of the Journal of Clinical Neurosurgery in 2023.

　　The 36-year history of Nanjing Zijin Hospital demonstrates that clinical research has consistently served as a powerful driving force behind the hospital’s development. Moving forward, Nanjing Zijin Hospital will continue to vigorously advance both technological and scientific innovation, fostering close integration between research and clinical practice, thereby strengthening the hospital’s overall capabilities and core competitiveness and benefiting an ever-growing number of patients.