Opening ceremony venue

From October 24 to 26, the 33rd Academic Conference on Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine of the Chinese Medical Association was held in Nanjing. The event was co-organized by the Chinese Medical Association and its Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch, with support from the Jiangsu Provincial Medical Association, its Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch, and Nanjing Zijin Hospital. With the theme “Integration, Inheritance, Development, and Pragmatic Action,” the conference sought to promote the interdisciplinary integration and joint advancement of hyperbaric oxygen medicine and related fields, thereby contributing to the Healthy China initiative.

█ Launch of China’s Original Scale for Disorders of Consciousness—The Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS) Project

Site of the Launch Meeting for the Multicenter Study on the Reliability and Validity Analysis of the Chinese Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS)

At the kickoff meeting of the multi-center study on the reliability and validity analysis of the China Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS), the Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Nanjing Zijin Hospital jointly launched the “Multi-Center Study on the Reliability and Validity Analysis of the China Nanjing Consciousness Recovery Scale (CNCRS).”

This project aims to lay a solid foundation for the further research and dissemination of China’s assessment scales for disorders of consciousness through multi-center clinical case collection, statistical analysis, and manuscript preparation. It also seeks to leverage this multi-center clinical application to promote our country’s original scales for assessing disorders of consciousness, thereby better serving Chinese patients and contributing to the high-quality development of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, rehabilitation medicine, and neuroscience in China.

█ Promoting multidisciplinary collaboration to tackle challenging clinical treatment issues

Professor Chan Chi-hin, Vice President of the Hong Kong Education University, delivered a presentation titled “Assessment of Cognitive Decline in the Community and Rehabilitation Interventions.” Drawing on extensive clinical data collection and analysis, he elucidated the clinical characteristics of normal aging and cognitive decline, underscoring the importance of rapid and accurate assessment of cognitive impairment within community populations. He further emphasized that early evaluation and diagnosis facilitate the development of tailored rehabilitation and treatment plans, thereby contributing to the overall improvement of public health.

Professor Long Ying of Shenzhen People’s Hospital, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, delivered a special report titled “The Development of Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine under DRGs/DIP Payment Systems and Corresponding Strategies.” She explained that, in light of the new medical insurance policies, only by continuously enhancing their clinical expertise, strengthening their capacity to address challenging clinical treatment issues and critical bottleneck technologies, actively engaging in multidisciplinary collaboration to improve therapeutic outcomes, shortening average lengths of hospital stay, and optimizing drug formularies can practitioners in the field of hyperbaric oxygen medicine maximize benefits for patients, healthcare institutions, and the nation.

Professor Li Jinsheng of Shenzhen People’s Hospital, former chairman of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, delivered a special report titled “Research and Clinical Advances in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Reproductive Medicine.” He explained that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can effectively improve the endometrial milieu, increase endometrial thickness, and enhance the success rate of assisted reproductive procedures, emphasizing that it is an indispensable adjunctive treatment in the field of reproductive medicine.

Professor Yang Jing, Vice Chair of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and affiliated with Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, delivered a special report titled “Standardized Clinical Application and Promotion of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.” She emphasized the necessity of standardizing the clinical use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and outlined several initiatives launched by her team, including the “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Promotion Project,” the “Standardized Clinical Application and Promotion Project for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Traumatic Brain Injury,” the “Standardized Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Promotion Project for Stroke,” and the “Standardized Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Promotion Project for Spinal Cord Injury.”

Professor Shi Lu from the Institute of Marine and Underwater Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University delivered a plenary presentation on “Subaquatic Experimental Research and Field Applications on Plateaus in China”; Professor Jiang Wei of Tianjin First Central Hospital presented on the “Consensus Statement of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Subcommittee of the Chinese Society of Hyperbaric Medicine Regarding the Treatment of Radiation‑Induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw”; Professor Li Zhuo of Shenzhen People’s Hospital addressed “Moving Toward Precision Medicine: Exploring Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Strategies Based on Transcutaneous Partial Pressure of Oxygen Monitoring”; and Associate Editor Gan Huiliang of the Chinese Journal of Maritime Medicine and Hyperbaric Medicine gave a talk on “Writing and Ethical Guidelines for Papers in Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine.”

█ Patient-centered, with equal emphasis on practicality and applicability.

The sub‑sessions featured clear, clinically relevant themes and were highly practical and actionable. The Brain Resuscitation session focused squarely on basic and clinical research into neurological and consciousness disorders, emphasizing that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the indispensable interventions for restoring consciousness.

At the sub‑session on safety and quality control, in light of the discipline’s specific characteristics, an in‑depth and detailed interpretation was provided of the newly implemented “Requirements for Compliance Management of Special Equipment Use in Medical Institutions.” In addition, experience was shared on quality‑control management related to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, thereby enhancing the industry’s overall awareness of workplace safety and proactively preventing production‑related and medical accidents.

At the youth sub‑session, a lively debate was sparked by a report on “a successful case of intracranial air embolism resulting from a massive pulmonary bulla during flight, treated with hyperbaric oxygen.” Commenting experts, drawing on fundamental theory, treatment indications, and clinical features, unanimously agreed that, under the robust support of an effective emergency response plan and with the paramount goal of saving the patient’s life, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be administered when indicated.

The conference received a total of 283 submissions, including 39 oral presentations and 244 poster presentations. The content covered reproductive medicine, critical care medicine, rehabilitation medicine, neurology, dentistry, oncology, pediatrics, traditional Chinese medicine, nursing, as well as the operation and safety of hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

During the conference, the Third Meeting of the Tenth Committee of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association was held, with members of the Youth Group, the Brain Resuscitation Group, and the Quality Control Group attending as observers. Chairperson Long Ying reported to all committee members on the progress of the 2023–2024 work plan and engaged in discussions on the development of the hyperbaric oxygen medicine discipline. The meeting further refined the branch’s objectives: in addition to completing the tasks set for 2023–2024, a new clinical research project on diabetic foot and hyperbaric oxygen therapy was added. The branch will continue to advance the revision of the quality‑management standards for medical hyperbaric oxygen therapy, strengthen public education and outreach on hyperbaric oxygen medicine, and ensure the achievement of its regular assessment targets.

This conference emphasizes cutting-edge innovation and practical applicability, balancing basic science with clinical practice, fostering interdisciplinary and multicenter collaboration, and advancing the high-quality development of hyperbaric oxygen medicine to meet patients’ multifaceted, diversified, and personalized treatment needs.