Abstract:【Objective】To explore the application effect of predictive intervention combined with respiratory function exercise in patients undergoing pleural effusion drainage. 【Methods】 A total of 82 patients with pleural effusion admitted to our hospital from June 2023 to December 2024 were selected. They were divided into a control group (receiving routine intervention) and an observation group (receiving predictive intervention combined with respiratory function exercise) using a random number table, with 41 cases in each group. Postoperative recovery, pulmonary function indexes, quality of life, and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups. 【Results】One month after intervention, the daily postoperative drainage volume and pain score of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, and the extubation time and hospital stay were shorter than those of the control group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05); the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) of the observation group were higher than those of the control group (all P<0.05). The scores of all dimensions of the Quality of Life Index (QOLI) in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The total incidence of complications in the observation group was 7.32%, which was significantly lower than 19.51% in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05).【Conclusion】Predictive intervention combined with respiratory function exercise is helpful to promote postoperative recovery of patients undergoing pleural effusion drainage, improve pulmonary function and quality of life, and reduce the incidence of complications, which has high clinical application value.