The severity of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in patients with purulent meningitis (PM) depends on the severity of consciousness disorders. ARF is most expressed in comatose patients, whereas in PM involving no consciousness disorders there were no changes of the gaseous composition of the blood or acid-base status. After forced ventilation of the lungs is started, gaseous composition of the blood normalizes. Timely active respiratory care decreased by half the mortality in this patient population, this indicating that such patients are to be treated in intensive care wards for timely correction of disordered vital functions.