The clinical indications for chest drain removal are as follows: the patient’s lungs are well expanded after drainage and there is no gas or fluid discharge, at which point the drain can be removed while the patient is taking a deep breath. It is important to note that the patient’s wound must be closed after the drainage tube is removed. Chest drainage is mainly indicated for medium and large volume pneumothorax, open pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax. It is also suitable for chest drainage if the patient has a pleural effusion. When performing chest drainage, careful disinfection and strict asepsis are required, and then a chest drainage tube is placed into the patient’s chest cavity. Note that the drainage tube should be squeezed frequently after the chest drainage procedure to keep the tube open, and the hourly or 24-hour drainage flow should be recorded.