Ferris PolyMem Max Non-Adhesive Dressing — 60% More Absorbent, Silver-Free, Heavy Drainage, 3 Sizes

The same four-component polymeric membrane technology as standard PolyMem — continuously cleanses, fills, absorbs, and moistens — in a thicker pad that is 60% more absorbent, with a high MVTR film backing designed for wounds with heavier drainage or when extending the time between changes is the clinical priority. No silver. The right choice for heavy-drainage clean wounds where maximum polymeric membrane absorption is needed without antimicrobial intervention. Ferris PolyMem Max Non-Adhesive is the silver-free, high-capacity configuration of the PolyMem polymeric membrane dressing line — built on the identical hydrophilic polyurethane membrane matrix as standard PolyMem Non-Adhesive, with a thicker pad construction and high moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) film that together provide 60% greater fluid handling capability. Where standard PolyMem reaches capacity on heavily draining wounds before the optimal change interval, PolyMem Max extends the wear period, reduces change frequency, and maintains the full cleanse-fill-absorb-moisten function throughout. Non-adhesive — cut to size, secure with tape or fixation sheet. Available in three sizes: 3"×3.5", 4.5"×4.5", and 8"×8".

✔ 60% More Absorbent Than Standard PolyMem — Thicker Pad Construction    ✔ High MVTR Film — Greater Moisture Handling for Heavy Drainage    ✔ Silver-Free — For Clean or Low-Bioburden Heavy-Drainage Wounds    ✔ Polymeric Membrane Technology — Cleanse, Fill, Absorb & Moisten    ✔ Virtually Pain-Free Removal — Glycerin Prevents Adherence    ✔ Combined Primary & Secondary Use — Fewer Products, Simpler Protocol    ✔ Cut to Size — 3 Sizes Including 8"×8" Large Format

Product Details & Available Sizes

Indicated For — Wound Types

• Moderate to heavily exuding wounds — any etiology — where standard PolyMem reaches capacity before the desired change interval
• Pressure ulcers — Stage I through Stage IV — with heavy exudate
• Venous leg ulcers with high drainage
• Diabetic foot ulcers with moderate-to-heavy exudate
• Arterial ulcers
• First and second degree burns
• Donor sites and graft sites
• Surgical wounds with heavier drainage
• Traumatic wounds — lacerations, abrasions with significant exudate
• Skin tears on fragile or elderly skin — glycerin prevents adherence on delicate tissue
• Painful wounds — same nociceptor-inhibiting pain relief mechanism as standard PolyMem
• Clean or low-bioburden heavy-drainage wounds where silver is not clinically indicated
• Wounds where extending time between dressing changes is a clinical or patient comfort priority

Not indicated for: Infected or high-bioburden wounds requiring antimicrobial action — use PolyMem Max Silver (1045/1088) instead. Not for patients with known sensitivity to dressing components.

Why Max — The 60% Absorption Advantage

Standard PolyMem Non-Adhesive is highly effective for the broad middle range of wound drainage volumes — moderate exudate where the standard membrane thickness provides adequate fluid handling capacity throughout the typical 3–7 day wear interval. For wounds at the heavy end of the exudate spectrum, the standard PolyMem reaches saturation before the optimal change interval — requiring more frequent changes, increasing nursing time and cost, and disrupting the wound environment more often than clinically necessary.

PolyMem Max addresses this by thickening the membrane pad itself. The same hydrophilic polyurethane matrix — the same surfactant, glycerin, and starch co-polymer components in the same proportions — is built to greater depth, providing 60% more absorption capacity per dressing. The high MVTR film backing (on the 5035 and 5045) is simultaneously optimized to handle the higher moisture vapor load generated by heavily exuding wounds, allowing more aggressive vapor evaporation through the backing to prevent moisture buildup within the dressing that would limit its effective capacity.

The combined effect is a dressing that functions as a combined primary and secondary on most heavy-drainage wound presentations — the Max pad's capacity is sufficient that a separate secondary absorbent layer is often not required, simplifying the dressing system and reducing the total number of products needed per change.

• 60% more absorbent than standard PolyMem — thicker membrane depth, same formula
• High MVTR film — more aggressive vapor evaporation handles heavier drainage moisture load
• Extended wear time on heavy-drainage wounds — fewer changes, less wound disruption
• Combined primary and secondary — Max capacity often eliminates need for separate secondary
• Same four-component cleanse-fill-absorb-moisten function as standard — at greater capacity
• Same virtually pain-free removal — glycerin prevents adherence regardless of pad thickness

PolyMem Max (Silver-Free) vs. PolyMem Max Silver — Choosing Between Them

PolyMem Max Non-Adhesive (5035, 5045, 5088) and PolyMem Max Silver Non-Adhesive (1045, 1088) are the same dressing — identical thicker pad construction, identical high MVTR film, identical 60% absorption advantage over standard PolyMem — with one difference: the presence or absence of reactive ionic silver. The choice between them is a clinical infection-status decision:

• PolyMem Max Non-Adhesive (this product — silver-free): For heavily draining clean wounds where infection is not a concern — wounds in granulation phase with high but clean exudate output, wounds transitioning out of the infected phase where silver is no longer indicated, and any heavy-drainage wound presentation in a patient with silver sensitivity. Also cost-effective when antimicrobial protection is not clinically required — silver adds cost that provides no benefit on clean wounds.
• PolyMem Max Silver (1045/1088): For heavily draining infected or high-bioburden wounds where both maximum absorption and continuous antimicrobial protection are required simultaneously. The reactive silver activates in proportion to exudate volume and bacterial load — releasing more silver when infection markers are high, less when the wound is cleaner.

A common clinical practice: use PolyMem Max Silver during the infected phase of a heavy-drainage wound, then transition to PolyMem Max Non-Adhesive (this product) once infection resolves and the wound moves into clean granulation — maintaining the same Max capacity and dressing experience while eliminating silver when it is no longer needed.

The PolyMem Family — Choosing the Right Configuration

• PolyMem Non-Adhesive (5022–5244): Standard membrane thickness. Seven sizes including two roll formats. For moderate exudate — the broadest format range in the PolyMem line. Best for most standard wound presentations where heavy drainage is not the primary challenge.
• PolyMem Max Non-Adhesive (this product — 5035, 5045, 5088): 60% thicker, 60% more absorbent, high MVTR film. Silver-free. Three sizes. For heavy-drainage clean wounds where extended wear time and reduced change frequency are the priority.
• PolyMem Max Silver Non-Adhesive (1045, 1088): Same Max thickness plus reactive ionic silver. Two sizes (4"×4" and 8"×8"). For heavy-drainage infected or high-bioburden wounds requiring both maximum absorption and antimicrobial protection.
• PolyMem Film Adhesive and Cloth Adhesive: Standard membrane thickness with adhesive backing — for wounds where self-adherence without tape is preferred. Film adhesive for acute wounds and cleaner presentations; cloth adhesive for ecchymosis and skin tears.

The 8"×8" Size — Without Film Backing

The 8"×8" PolyMem Max (5088) differs from the two smaller sizes in one important detail: it does not have a film backing. The 5035 and 5045 include the high MVTR semi-permeable polyurethane film on one face; the 5088 is the membrane pad alone, without film. This distinction matters for application:

• Without film backing, the 5088 requires a secondary dressing for moisture management and bacterial barrier protection — it cannot function as a standalone dressing the way the film-backed sizes can
• The absence of film makes the 5088 more flexible and conformable to large, irregular wound surfaces — it can be folded, shaped, and applied to contoured wound geometry that a film-backed dressing would resist
• Best suited for use as a secondary over a primary wound filler on large wound surfaces, or for large wounds where the clinician is applying a secondary cover anyway and the film backing adds no clinical value

Choosing the Right Size

• 5035 — 3" x 3.5": Smallest Max size — for compact but heavily draining wounds: small pressure injuries with significant exudate, small diabetic foot wounds with heavy drainage, vascular access sites, and any wound where heavy absorption is needed in a small footprint. High MVTR film-backed. Box of 10.
• 5045 — 4.5" x 4.5": Standard Max size — the most commonly used; typical pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, and surgical wounds with heavy exudate where the standard 4"×4" PolyMem reaches capacity too quickly. Slightly larger than a standard 4"×4" — provides better wound-plus-margin coverage on average wounds. High MVTR film-backed. Box of 10.
• 5088 — 8" x 8": Large Max size — for extensive wounds with heavy drainage: large pressure injuries, extensive donor or graft sites, wide venous ulcers, and any wound where maximum single-pad coverage and maximum absorption are both required. Without film backing — requires secondary cover dressing. Box of 5.

Not sure which size or configuration fits your wound? Call 1-866-218-0902 — Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm EST

Application Instructions

1. Cleanse wound per standard protocol — PolyMem's continuous built-in cleanser reduces the need for aggressive wound bed cleansing; avoid mechanical disruption of healing tissue
2. Cut the dressing to the appropriate size and shape with sterile scissors if needed — all polymeric membrane properties are retained in the cut piece
3. Apply the dressing directly to the wound — film side facing away from wound (for film-backed sizes 5035 and 5045); either side for 5088
4. Secure with tape at the dressing perimeter, a fixation sheet, or a secondary cover dressing — for 5088, a secondary cover is required for bacterial barrier and moisture management
5. Change every 1–7 days depending on exudate level — the greater absorption capacity of Max typically allows longer wear than standard PolyMem on the same wound; change when dressing is saturated or as clinical condition indicates

Removal: Gently lift the dressing from the wound — glycerin maintains a non-adherent interface throughout the wear period for virtually pain-free removal. If any edge adherence occurs, apply a small amount of saline to the edge before lifting.

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Questions about PolyMem Max or any of our polymeric membrane wound dressings? Call 1-866-218-0902 — our team is ready to help.