Intravenous pharmacologic sedation is often chosen for surgical and nonsurgical procedures and is administered by an anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, or other trained professional. Sedation is described as a continuum, encompassing minimal, moderate, and deep sedation that can be categorized according to the patient’s level of consciousness (Figure 12.1). This categorization is subjective and the different levels of sedation can be achieved through changes in medication choice and dosage. There exist overlapping zones between levels of sedation. In clinical practice, deep sedation and general anesthesia share many of the same features in terms of patient awareness, lack of responsiveness, and risk of airway compromise.