Mölnlycke Mepilex Transfer Ag — Antimicrobial Safetac Transfer Layer, 14-Day Silver Activity, 3 Sizes

The world's first antimicrobial wound contact layer with Safetac technology. Transfers exudate vertically to a secondary dressing. Inactivates pathogens in 30 minutes with sustained antimicrobial effect up to 14 days. Conforms to any wound surface — uneven, irregular, and difficult-to-dress. Mölnlycke Mepilex Transfer Ag is a thin, highly conformable two-layer wound dressing that occupies a unique clinical position: it is not a bordered all-in-one dressing, not a standard wound contact layer, and not a self-contained foam pad. It is a dedicated antimicrobial exudate transfer layer — a dressing that sits directly against the wound surface, seals the wound edges with Safetac silicone to prevent lateral exudate spread, and channels exudate vertically upward into a chosen secondary absorbent dressing. The silver sulphate within the compressed polyurethane foam layer delivers broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity at the wound surface — inactivating bacteria and fungi within 30 minutes and maintaining sustained activity for up to 14 days in vitro. The Safetac wound contact layer provides the atraumatic removal and pain-minimizing adhesion the Mepilex line is built on. Available in three sizes: 4" x 5", 6" x 8", and a large 8" x 20" for extensive or complex wound surfaces.

✔ World's First Antimicrobial Wound Contact Layer with Safetac    ✔ Vertical Exudate Transfer — Pairs with Chosen Secondary Dressing    ✔ Inactivates Pathogens Within 30 Minutes — Sustained 14 Days    ✔ Silver Sulphate + Activated Carbon — Antimicrobial & Odor Reduction    ✔ Safetac Silicone — Atraumatic, Less Painful Dressing Changes    ✔ Conforms to Uneven & Difficult-to-Dress Wound Surfaces    ✔ Cut to Shape — Compatible with Compression Bandaging

Product Details & Available Sizes

Indicated For

• Leg and foot ulcers — venous, arterial, diabetic — where an antimicrobial contact layer is indicated
• Pressure ulcers — all stages — infected or at high risk of infection
• Partial thickness burns
• Traumatic wounds — lacerations, abrasions, skin tears
• Surgical wounds
• Difficult-to-dress wounds — irregular surfaces, uneven wound beds, wounds in anatomically challenging locations where conformable contact is needed
• Wounds where an antimicrobial effect is required alongside a chosen secondary dressing
• Wounds requiring use under compression bandaging with antimicrobial protection
• Low- to high-exudate wounds — the secondary dressing selection calibrates total absorbency

Contraindications: Do not use on patients with known hypersensitivity to silver or dressing components. Not for use with oxidizing agents (hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide). For infected wounds, use as part of a comprehensive clinical treatment protocol.

What Makes Mepilex Transfer Ag Different — The Transfer Dressing Concept

Most wound dressings are designed to be self-contained — they absorb, retain, and manage exudate within their own structure. Mepilex Transfer Ag is built on a different principle: it is a transfer layer, not a retention layer. Its clinical purpose is to sit directly against the wound surface and move exudate away from that surface — not hold it. The compressed polyurethane foam in the dressing is thin, not bulky. The Safetac layer seals the wound edges around the perimeter — preventing exudate from migrating laterally along the wound-skin interface toward the periwound skin — while the foam structure channels exudate vertically upward, out of the wound environment and into whatever secondary absorbent dressing the clinician has chosen to place above it.

This architecture gives the clinician a degree of flexibility that all-in-one dressings cannot offer. Because the secondary dressing is separate and chosen independently, the total absorbent capacity of the system can be matched precisely to the wound's drainage level by selecting a light, medium, or heavy secondary absorber. As wound exudate volume changes over the healing course, the secondary can be changed to a different weight while keeping the Mepilex Transfer Ag primary layer in place if the wound environment doesn't require primary layer change. This separation of primary antimicrobial contact function from secondary absorption function is the clinical strength of the transfer dressing category.

• Transfer layer, not retention layer — moves exudate away from the wound surface rather than holding it at the interface
• Safetac seals wound edges — prevents lateral exudate spread and periwound maceration
• Foam channels exudate vertically — directed upward into secondary absorbent, not outward onto surrounding skin
• Secondary dressing flexibility — clinician selects secondary absorbency level to match wound drainage
• Primary layer can be retained while secondary is changed when indicated
• Conforms to uneven wound surfaces — thin profile follows irregular wound bed topography that thicker dressings bridge over
• May be cut to any shape — adapts to difficult wound geometries

14-Day Silver Activity — Why It Matters Clinically

Mepilex Transfer Ag's silver sulphate releases silver ions into the wound environment on contact with wound fluid, inactivating wound-relevant bacteria and fungi within 30 minutes in vitro. The sustained-release mechanism of silver sulphate maintains effective silver ion concentrations at the wound surface for up to 14 days in vitro — twice the duration documented for most silver foam dressings, which typically sustain activity for 7 days. This extended antimicrobial activity window is clinically relevant because it allows the dressing to remain in place through the full intended wear period without antimicrobial depletion, particularly valuable for wounds with persistent infection risk or elevated bioburden that would exhaust a shorter-duration silver dressing before the scheduled change interval.

The activated carbon component within the foam layer works alongside the silver to address wound odor — trapping and neutralizing volatile organic compounds that produce malodor from infected and heavily colonized wounds. Odor management is both a quality-of-life issue for patients and a social concern that affects adherence to treatment; its inclusion in the dressing structure means no separate odor management product is required.

• 30-minute pathogen inactivation onset (in vitro) — rapid reduction of bacterial load from first application
• 14-day sustained antimicrobial activity (in vitro) — twice the duration of most 7-day silver dressings
• Broad spectrum — bacteria and fungi including wound-relevant pathogens
• Activated carbon co-function — odor reduction without a separate product
• Silver sulphate sustained-release mechanism — controlled release for full wear period coverage

Safetac on a Transfer Layer — The Pain Reduction Advantage in a Primary Dressing

Wound contact layers are changed more frequently than bordered foam dressings — sometimes with every secondary dressing change, or when the primary layer requires inspection. For a wound contact layer that is changed regularly, the pain and skin damage at each removal is a cumulative clinical problem. Conventional wound contact layers with silicone, tulle, or low-adherent polyester wound contact materials are often the source of pain and skin disruption at dressing change even when the secondary dressing above them is gentle. Mepilex Transfer Ag brings Safetac's clinically proven atraumatic adhesion to the primary wound contact layer itself — a combination previously unavailable and which Mölnlycke describes as the world's first antimicrobial wound contact layer with Safetac technology.

At dressing change, the Safetac layer releases from the wound surface and periwound skin with minimal pain and without epidermal stripping. The dressing can be lifted for wound inspection and replaced without losing adhesion if the primary layer does not need to be changed. This significantly reduces the patient's experience of pain-as-procedure at each dressing change and reduces the caregiver's handling time per change.

Mepilex Transfer Ag vs. Mepilex Border Sacrum Ag — Choosing Between Transfer and All-In-One

Both products use Safetac silicone adhesion and silver sulphate antimicrobial action. The clinical choice between them depends on whether the wound needs an all-in-one self-contained dressing or a customizable transfer-plus-secondary system:

• Mepilex Transfer Ag (this product): Requires a secondary absorbent dressing. Clinician controls secondary selection and weight. Suitable for any wound location — cut to shape for difficult sites. Three sizes including a large 8" x 20" for extensive wound coverage. 14-day silver activity. Best when wound geometry, drainage level variability, or the need for flexible absorbency matching makes a transfer system more appropriate than a fixed all-in-one pad.
• Mepilex Border Sacrum Ag: All-in-one bordered foam — no secondary required. Sacral contour shape. Superabsorbent fiber layer for sacral wound exudate volumes. 7-day silver activity. Best for sacral pressure injuries where the standardized all-in-one format simplifies application and the sacral shape provides anatomical conformity.

Choosing the Right Size

• 394190 — 4" x 5": Standard size for most wound presentations — pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, venous ulcers, burn areas, and surgical wounds of average dimension. Cut to smaller shapes as needed. Box of 5.
• 394890 — 6" x 8": For larger wounds requiring broader primary layer coverage — extensive pressure injuries, larger burn surfaces, surgical wounds, and wounds where the 4x5 would not provide adequate wound-plus-margin coverage. Box of 10.
• 394590 — 8" x 20": Large-format dressing for extensive wounds, lower limb wounds requiring full-leg surface coverage, large burn sites, complex wound configurations, and any situation where cutting from a large piece to custom shapes is the most efficient approach. Box of 2.

Not sure which size is right for your wound? Call 1-866-218-0902 — Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm EST

Why Buy From Medical Department Store?

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Questions about Mepilex Transfer Ag or any of our antimicrobial wound dressings? Call 1-866-218-0902 — our team is ready to help.