The invention features is an embodiment of a drainage catheter to be used to drain fluid or gas from any body space with an improved distal tip of variable configuration, to facilitate passage of a guide wire used for catheter exchange. The invention also features an embodiment of a retention mechanism used to stabilize the drainage catheter in the body, where in this embodiment the retention mechanism is located outside of the lumen of the tube as it courses from its distal attachment sites to the catheter hub.