Patients may exhibit various levels of agitation from mild to severe. Patients may progress from one level to the next or stay in one level. Moderate and severely agitated patients are difficult to evaluate and usually need treatment for their agitation. Some of these patients may become violent and injure themselves, staff or others. It is essential to identify patients who might be in the mild to moderate stage in order to prevent progression to severe agitation. This identification can provide a mechanism to determine who needs immediate treatment in the ED.