Revenue (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) segment
Revenue
Number of reportable segments | segment	4	4	4
Net Sales	$ 43,075	$ 34,608	$ 31,904
Minimum
Revenue
Settlement of rebate after sale	1 month
Period cash discounts are known after sale	15 days
Maximum
Revenue
Settlement of rebate after sale	6 months
Period cash discounts are known after sale	30 days
United States
Revenue
Net Sales	$ 16,642	13,022	11,398
Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	26,433	21,586	20,506
Established Pharmaceutical Products
Revenue
Net Sales	4,718	4,303	4,486
Established Pharmaceutical Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	4,718	4,303	4,486
Nutritional Products
Revenue
Net Sales	8,294	7,647	7,409
Nutritional Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	3,556	3,279	3,110
Nutritional Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	4,738	4,368	4,299
Diagnostic Products
Revenue
Net Sales	15,644	10,805	7,713
Diagnostic Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	7,129	4,774	2,887
Diagnostic Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	8,515	6,031	4,826
Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	14,367	11,787	12,239
Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	5,923	4,931	5,374
Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	8,444	6,856	6,865
Other
Revenue
Net Sales	52	66	57
Key Emerging Markets | Established Pharmaceutical Products
Revenue
Net Sales	3,539	3,209	3,392
Key Emerging Markets | Established Pharmaceutical Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	3,539	3,209	3,392
Other | Established Pharmaceutical Products
Revenue
Net Sales	1,179	1,094	1,094
Other | Established Pharmaceutical Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	1,179	1,094	1,094
Other | Other
Revenue
Net Sales	52	66	57
Other | Other | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	34	38	27
Other | Other | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	18	28	30
Pediatric Nutritionals | Nutritional Products
Revenue
Net Sales	4,298	4,127	4,161
Pediatric Nutritionals | Nutritional Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	2,192	1,987	1,879
Pediatric Nutritionals | Nutritional Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	2,106	2,140	2,282
Adult Nutritionals | Nutritional Products
Revenue
Net Sales	3,996	3,520	3,248
Adult Nutritionals | Nutritional Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	1,364	1,292	1,231
Adult Nutritionals | Nutritional Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	2,632	2,228	2,017
Core Laboratory | Diagnostic Products
Revenue
Net Sales	5,128	4,475	4,656
Core Laboratory | Diagnostic Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	1,145	1,166	1,086
Core Laboratory | Diagnostic Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	3,983	3,309	3,570
Molecular | Diagnostic Products
Revenue
Net Sales	1,427	1,438	442
Molecular | Diagnostic Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	566	621	149
Molecular | Diagnostic Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	861	817	293
Point of Care | Diagnostic Products
Revenue
Net Sales	536	516	561
Point of Care | Diagnostic Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	384	369	438
Point of Care | Diagnostic Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	152	147	123
Rapid Diagnostics | Diagnostic Products
Revenue
Net Sales	8,553	4,376	2,054
Rapid Diagnostics | Diagnostic Products | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	5,034	2,618	1,214
Rapid Diagnostics | Diagnostic Products | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	3,519	1,758	840
Rhythm Management | Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	2,198	1,914	2,144
Rhythm Management | Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	1,018	903	1,057
Rhythm Management | Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	1,180	1,011	1,087
Electrophysiology | Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	1,907	1,578	1,721
Electrophysiology | Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	778	660	742
Electrophysiology | Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	1,129	918	979
Heart Failure | Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	889	740	769
Heart Failure | Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	654	547	574
Heart Failure | Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	235	193	195
Vascular | Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	2,654	2,339	2,850
Vascular | Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	915	853	1,047
Vascular | Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	1,739	1,486	1,803
Structural Heart | Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	1,610	1,247	1,400
Structural Heart | Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	730	540	616
Structural Heart | Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	880	707	784
Neuromodulation | Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	781	702	831
Neuromodulation | Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	616	564	660
Neuromodulation | Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	165	138	171
Diabetes Care | Medical Devices
Revenue
Net Sales	4,328	3,267	2,524
Diabetes Care | Medical Devices | United States
Revenue
Net Sales	1,212	864	678
Diabetes Care | Medical Devices | Non-US [Member]
Revenue
Net Sales	$ 3,116	$ 2,403	$ 1,846