Revista Americana de Medicina Respiratoria - Volumen 23, Número 2 - June 2023

Obituario

Carlos A. Parpaglione(1951/2023)

On June 20th, Dr. Carlos Alberto Parpaglione passed away. He was born in Buenos Aires on October 12, 1951, and studied at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de Buenos Aires, graduating as a medical doctor in 1975. In 1983, he obtained the title of Specialist in Pulmonology and Tisiology.

He developed his professional career starting in 1976 in the Respiratory Physiopathology Depart­ment of the Hospital de Neumotisiología Dr. Enrique Tornú in Buenos Aires, until he became Head of the Department, a position he held from 1997.

He held various positions in the Society of Tuberculosis and Pulmonology of the Hospital Tornú and was a member of the Argentine Medical Association. He was a Founding Member of the Argentinian Association of Respiratory Medicine. At the international level, he was full member of the European Respiratory Society, the Sociedade de Pneumologia e Tisiologia do Rio Grande do Sul, the American Thoracic Society and the Latin American Thoracic Society.

He has participated in numerous congresses, conferences and symposiums as full member, Course Director, Coordinator, speaker, etc. And he made a valuable contribution to continuous medical educa­tion with his scientific work published in national and international scientific journals, book chapters, monographs, conferences and his tireless teaching activity, having served as Head of Practical As­signments of the Pulmonology Specialist Career of the Universidad de Buenos Aires, at the Hospital Pirovano, and Head of Practical Assignments of the Pulmonology subject of the Medicine Career at the Universidad Favaloro. And he did all that without neglecting his own training, to which he devoted countless hours of study.

His diligent dedication made him worthy of the “Alejandro Raimondi” award on two occasions, awarded by the Society of Tuberculosis and Pulmonology of the Hospital de Neumotisiología “E. Tornú”.

This brief summary of his life comprises only his professional and academic merits, but Carlos also stood out for his cordiality and chivalry in his relations with others, with personal characteristics of warmth and friendliness and a fine sense of humor along with his medical capacity.

He always had a direct, loving, warm and respectful relationship with his patients.

Those of us who had the honor of knowing him, know of his willpower and his endless hours of study and reflection, with the sole purpose of solving the concrete problem of a patient. And he showed cordi­ality and affection not only to his patients but also to all the staff who worked with him. His analytical and leadership skills earned him the respect and admiration of everyone. The above might have been enough, but it wasn’t; he also worried about those around him and showed interest in them.

It is said that great men develop all their potential when facing adversity; this happened with Car­los Parpaglione, his behavior during his long and painful illness was an example of temperance and dignity. We never heard a complaint, never a bad word, and so it turned out that whoever needed help, he helped, whoever needed consolation, he consoled, and so in this way he continued beyond the limit of his strength, being the axis of our work, even when life was slipping through his fingers. All these facts and many more that we treasure in our memory make him a moral and ethical prototype that will continue to inspire those of us who had the privilege to know him.

May he rest in peace.