Acquisitions and Divestitures - Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets			$ 446,000,000		$ 446,000,000
Purchased goodwill			508,000,000		508,000,000
Supplemental information:
Cash paid, net of cash acquired					704,000,000	$ (13,000,000)
Net sales			7,991,000,000	$ 8,152,000,000	24,025,000,000	24,820,000,000
Operating loss			(2,011,000,000)	$ (2,016,000,000)	$ (4,849,000,000)	$ (5,424,000,000)
Number of business combinations completed						0
Maximum
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)					14 years
Minimum
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)					6 years
Weighted average
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)					11 years
M*Modal
Business Acquisitions Information
Accounts receivable			77,000,000		$ 77,000,000
Other current assets			2,000,000		2,000,000
Property, plant and equipment			8,000,000		8,000,000
Purchased goodwill			508,000,000		508,000,000
Other assets			59,000,000		59,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities			(124,000,000)		(124,000,000)
Interest bearing debt			(251,000,000)		(251,000,000)
Deferred tax asset/(liability)			(21,000,000)		(21,000,000)
Net assets acquired			704,000,000		704,000,000
Supplemental information:
Cash paid		$ 700,000,000			708,000,000
Less: Cash acquired					4,000,000
Cash paid, net of cash acquired					704,000,000
Assumed debt		$ 300,000,000
Net sales			75,000,000		200,000,000
Operating loss			5,000,000		40,000,000
M*Modal | Customer related intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets			275,000,000		$ 275,000,000
Intangible assets useful life (in years)					14 years
M*Modal | Other technology-based intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets			160,000,000		$ 160,000,000
Intangible assets useful life (in years)					6 years
M*Modal | Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets			$ 11,000,000		$ 11,000,000
Intangible assets useful life (in years)					6 years
Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries
Supplemental information:
Cash paid	$ 4,500,000,000
Assumed debt	$ 2,500,000,000