The “Fourth National High-Level Forum on Brain Resuscitation and Rehabilitation, together with a Training Course on Diagnostic Criteria for Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) and Minimally Conscious State (MCS),” hosted by the Chinese Medical Association, the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Nanjing Zijin Hospital, and organized by the Brain Resuscitation Specialist Group of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, and the Nanjing General Hospital of the Nanjing Military Region, was held from September 26 to 28, 2014, in the picturesque ancient city of Nanjing, located in the Jiangnan region.

　　This conference will focus on presenting and discussing the latest theoretical advances and clinical developments in cerebral resuscitation and related rehabilitation fields over recent years. Topics will include the diagnosis and management of disorders of consciousness, such as persistent vegetative state (PVS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), following brain injury of various etiologies. In addition, training will be provided on the diagnostic criteria for PVS and MCS, as well as on standards for assessing treatment outcomes and prognosis, drawing on both domestic and international guidelines. Furthermore, the conference will feature specialized discussions and exchanges on the resuscitation of disorders of consciousness, along with rehabilitation assessment and therapeutic interventions for the myriad functional impairments—cognitive, motor, speech, and swallowing—that arise after brain injury.

　　Wang Peisong, Chairman of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, attended the meeting and delivered an important address. He commended the advances and achievements—both internationally and domestically—in the field of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for cerebral resuscitation, particularly highlighting the clinical experience and accomplishments of Nanjing Zijin Hospital in this area. He also outlined the future directions for the development of cerebral resuscitation. On this occasion, he assigned tasks related to the annual conference scheduled for November this year in Suzhou, as well as the international conference to be held in Taiwan, China, in 2015.

　　The participants unanimously agreed that this academic exchange has advanced the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders of consciousness in China, and has further promoted and refined diagnostic and therapeutic standards for PVS and MCS that are aligned with international practices while highlighting China’s unique characteristics—marking a development of international caliber.

　　It is worth noting that Professor Wang Yitang, Executive Director of the International Society for Disaster Medicine, a tenured professor at Nanjing Medical University, and now in his eighties, attended the event and delivered an important address. He reviewed how, over the past three decades, under the leadership of President Wang Peidong, Nanjing Zijin Hospital has steadily grown from a modest facility with just over twenty beds into a secondary-level specialized hospital dedicated to cerebral resuscitation, integrating clinical care, education, and research. He wholeheartedly commended President Wang Peidong and his team for their contributions to the field of cerebral resuscitation nationwide—highlighting that this small private hospital has hosted three national academic conferences, and, notably, was officially incorporated in 2013 as a specialized committee within the Chinese Medical Association. The ability to bring together multidisciplinary experts and major hospitals to convene such an influential national academic conference is truly commendable.

　　The conference also invited renowned experts and professors from both China and abroad in neurology, neurosurgery, emergency medicine, critical care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, rehabilitation, and cerebral resuscitation. These specialists delivered specialized lectures, and colleagues from related fields actively participated in this major event. Participants generally agreed that the conference was a great success, using hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a platform to integrate multiple disciplines, facilitate resource sharing, promote mutual learning, and jointly explore ways to advance and improve practice.

　　Contributed by the Brain Resuscitation Group of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association.