How did he rebuild his life after nearly 40 minutes of cardiac arrest?

On the day before the 2020 National Day, an ambulance sped through the night to transfer 16-year-old patient Xiao Yuan from Shanghai to Nanjing Zijin Hospital. Nine days earlier, Xiao Yuan had suffered a sudden cardiac and respiratory arrest. Emergency responders immediately initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and after approximately 40 minutes, they managed to pull him back from the brink of death. However, he remained in a comatose state, with unstable vital signs. Following the advice of Professor Jing Bingwen, a renowned domestic expert, his family arranged for Xiao Yuan’s transfer to Nanjing Zijin Hospital, hoping to help him regain consciousness.

On the day Xiao Yuan was admitted, the medical team at Nanjing Zijin Hospital conducted a multidisciplinary consultation for him.

Forty minutes—this is a figure that strikes despair in physicians specializing in cerebral resuscitation. Prolonged oxygen deprivation to brain tissue can result in extensive, irreversible neuronal death. Clinical experience, both domestically and internationally, has shown that among patients who undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation within six minutes of cardiac arrest, as many as 50% may be successfully revived; however, for those whose resuscitation begins after six minutes, the survival rate drops below 10%.

On the day of admission, Xiao Yuan’s CNPVSS (2011, Nanjing) score was only 3. He showed no response to visual stimuli or auditory stimulation, remaining in a minimally conscious state. Could he regain consciousness? And if so, when? These questions posed a shared challenge for both the attending physician and the rehabilitation therapists.

Professor Jing Bingwen and Director Pan Xingming provided bedside care inside the hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

Special patients receive special treatment and special care. Chief Physician Pan Xingming, the attending physician, has developed a detailed treatment plan. Starting on the morning of October 1, the patient began hyperbaric oxygen therapy and underwent weaning‑from‑the‑ventilator training in CPAP mode, with medical staff providing continuous bedside support. Professor Jing Bingwen, at the advanced age of 87, traveled specially from Shanghai to Nanjing’s Zijin Hospital and remained in the chamber throughout the entire course to provide hands‑on care.

Based on the recommendations from a multidisciplinary expert consultation, Yuan’s wake‑up therapy was initiated in an orderly manner. On October 4, he was successfully weaned off the ventilator, and by the 7th, he began exhibiting simple command‑following movements. These encouraging advances have bolstered the medical team’s confidence in facilitating his recovery.