Stock-based compensation (Details Textual) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Amount by which the pool of available shares will be reduced for each stock option granted	1
The amount of common stock available under the plan for future grants and/or issuances (in shares)	36,000,000
Description of vesting of restricted stock units and stock options	RSUs and stock options generally vest in equal amounts on the second, third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date. RSUs
Number of common shares issued for each performance unit earned	1
RSUs [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
The number of shares by which the pool of available shares will be reduced for other types of awards granted	1.9
Number of shares added back for tax withholding on full value awards	1.9
Weighted average grant date fair value, granted (in usd per share)	$ 163.99	$ 156.76	$ 166.74
Total fair value of units that vested during the year	$ 182,000,000	$ 193,000,000	$ 206,000,000
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested awards	$ 304,000,000
Weighted average number of years over which compensation cost related to nonvested awards is expected to be recognized	1 year 9 months 18 days
Units outstanding (in shares)	3,400,000	3,900,000
Weighted-average grant date fair value	$ 155.11	$ 141.07
Units granted (in shares)	1,300,000
Units, forfeited (in shares)	300,000
Weighted average grant date fair value, forfeited (in usd per share)	$ 149.79
Stock options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expiration period of stock options from date of grant	10 years
Total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the year	$ 60,000,000	$ 102,000,000	150,000,000
Actual tax benefits realized from tax deductions from option exercises	$ 21,000,000	$ 37,000,000	$ 55,000,000
Performance units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
The number of shares by which the pool of available shares will be reduced for other types of awards granted	1.9
Number of shares added back for tax withholding on full value awards	1.9
Weighted average grant date fair value, granted (in usd per share)	$ 178.87	$ 170.56	$ 182.55
Total fair value of units that vested during the year	$ 219,000,000	$ 347,000,000	$ 0
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested awards	$ 144,000,000
Weighted average number of years over which compensation cost related to nonvested awards is expected to be recognized	1 year
Period over which the grants of equity instruments vest	3 years
Units outstanding (in shares)	2,200,000	2,800,000
Weighted-average grant date fair value	$ 177.16	$ 144.43
Units granted (in shares)	800,000
Units, forfeited (in shares)	100,000
Weighted average grant date fair value, forfeited (in usd per share)	$ 179.58

The amount of common stock available under the plan for future grants and/or issuances.

No definition available.

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Number of common shares issued for each performance unit earned.

+ References

No definition available.

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Amount by which the pool of available shares will be reduced for each stock option granted.

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Amount by which the pool of available shares will be reduced for other types of awards granted.

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Number of Shares Added Back for Tax Withholding on Full Value Awards

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized for equity-based compensation plans, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of tax benefit from exercise of stock options granted under share-based compensation arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2A
-Subparagraph (a)
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Estimated period over which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the equity-based payment award, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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Description of award terms as to how many shares or portion of an award are no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, thereby giving the employee the legal right to convert the award to shares, to sell the shares, and be entitled to the cash proceeds of such sale. For example, vesting may be expressed as being 25 percent of the shares under option on each anniversary of the grant date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

The number of equity-based payment instruments, excluding stock (or unit) options, that were forfeited during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)(iv)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

Weighted average fair value as of the grant date of equity-based award plans other than stock (unit) option plans that were not exercised or put into effect as a result of the occurrence of a terminating event.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

The number of grants made during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1)
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- Definition

The weighted average fair value at grant date for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1)
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- Definition

The number of non-vested equity-based payment instruments, excluding stock (or unit) options, that validly exist and are outstanding as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(i)-(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

The weighted average fair value of nonvested awards on equity-based plans excluding option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, revenue or profit achievement stock award plan) for which the employer is contingently obligated to issue equity instruments or transfer assets to an employee who has not yet satisfied service or performance criteria necessary to gain title to proceeds from the sale of the award or underlying shares or units.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(i)-(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

Fair value of share-based awards for which the grantee gained the right by satisfying service and performance requirements, to receive or retain shares or units, other instruments, or cash.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (d)(2)
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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of accumulated difference between fair value of underlying shares on dates of exercise and exercise price on options exercised (or share units converted) into shares.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (d)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

Period from grant date that an equity-based award expires, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

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