A device called a pulse cooximeter, commonly used to test for carbon monoxide in firefighters, can also be used by doctors to detect smoking among patients who may be reluctant to admit their addiction, Reuters reported Oct. 23.

"There is no good way to screen people for smoking," said lung specialist Sridhar Reddy. "You can ask them directly, do you smoke. But once they say they don't smoke and they lie about it, they will never volunteer that information."

Reddy, speaking at the scientific meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in Chicago this week, said that the pulse cooximeter is superior to blood, urine or saliva tests because it involves simply putting a clip-on device on the patient's fingertip. The device reads the amount of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood through the fingernail.