ObjectiveTo analyze the influencing factors for postoperative thoracic drainage duration in patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis and clinical nursing strategies. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis who underwent surgical treatment in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from December 2022 to December 2024. Patients with a drainage time ≤7 days were included in the recovery group, while those with a drainage time >7 days were included in the control group. Data on patients' preoperative Hamilton anxiety and depression scores, perioperative nursing conditions were collected, and factors affecting chest drainage time were analyzed. ResultsA total of 186 patients were included in this study, including 119 males and 67 females, with an average age of (36.10±15.20) years. The average chest drainage tube retention time was (10.59±9.24) days. Preoperative Hamilton anxiety and depression assessments showed that 47.31% (88/186) of patients were anxious, and 31.72% (59/186) were depressed. Multivariate analysis indicated that having a smoking history, undergoing open-chest surgery, prolonged postoperative use of analgesic pumps, preoperative anxiety, and depression were independent risk factors for chest drainage time >7 days (P<0.05); frequent coughing and longer average daily activity time postoperatively were protective factors for chest drainage time >7 days (P<0.05). ConclusionPatients undergoing surgery for pulmonary tuberculosis often experience anxiety and depression preoperatively. In the clinical nursing of patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis, efforts should be made preoperatively to help patients adjust their anxious and depressed emotions, control smoking, and prefer minimally invasive surgery; postoperatively, reducing analgesic duration, increasing cough frequency, promoting effective coughing, and extending average daily activity time can effectively shorten the postoperative chest drainage time, facilitating the rapid recovery of patients after surgery for pulmonary tuberculosis.