This manual aims to become the definitive reference work on sedation for all staff involved in administrating sedative agents, including anaesthetists, physicians, radiologists and support staff. The appropriate sedation technique is crucial to the comfort and safety of patients undergoing a wide spectrum of clinical procedures. The general principles of sedative use and protocols for good practice--information that is relevant in all clinical situations--is presented in the first two sections, and the final section looks at sedation and its applications in medicine, surgery and interventional radiology.