Acquisitions and Divestitures - Acquisitions (Details)	1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Business Acquisitions Information
Accounts receivable				$ 370,000,000
Inventory				186,000,000
Other current assets				67,000,000
Property, plant and equipment				155,000,000
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				4,081,000,000.000
Purchased goodwill				3,469,000,000
Other assets				131,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities				(565,000,000)
Interest bearing debt				(2,573,000,000)
Deferred tax asset/(liability) and accrued income taxes				(312,000,000)
Net assets acquired				5,009,000,000
Supplemental information:
Cash paid				5,194,000,000
Less: Cash acquired				210,000,000
Cash paid, net of cash acquired				4,984,000,000	$ (13,000,000)	$ 2,023,000,000
Consideration payable				25,000,000
Net assets acquired				5,009,000,000
Net sales				32,136,000,000	32,765,000,000	31,657,000,000
Operating loss				(6,174,000,000)	$ (7,207,000,000)	$ (7,692,000,000)
Number of business combinations completed					0
Customer related intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				$ 2,035,000,000
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				18 years
Other technology-based intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				$ 1,550,000,000
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				10 years
Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				$ 496,000,000
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				16 years
Maximum
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				19 years
Minimum
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				6 years
Weighted average
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				14 years
M*Modal
Business Acquisitions Information
Accounts receivable				$ 75,000,000
Other current assets				2,000,000
Property, plant and equipment				8,000,000
Purchased goodwill				517,000,000
Other assets				58,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities				(127,000,000)
Interest bearing debt				(251,000,000)
Deferred tax asset/(liability) and accrued income taxes				(24,000,000)
Net assets acquired				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
Net assets acquired				704,000,000
Assumed debt		$ 300,000,000
Net sales				300,000,000
Operating loss				25,000,000
M*Modal | Customer related intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				275,000,000
M*Modal | Other technology-based intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				160,000,000
M*Modal | Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				11,000,000
Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries
Business Acquisitions Information
Accounts receivable				295,000,000
Inventory				186,000,000
Other current assets				65,000,000
Property, plant and equipment				147,000,000
Purchased goodwill				2,952,000,000
Other assets				73,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities				(438,000,000)
Interest bearing debt				(2,322,000,000)
Deferred tax asset/(liability) and accrued income taxes				(288,000,000)
Net assets acquired				4,305,000,000
Supplemental information:
Cash paid				4,486,000,000
Less: Cash acquired				206,000,000
Cash paid, net of cash acquired	$ 4,500,000,000			4,280,000,000
Consideration payable				25,000,000
Net assets acquired				4,305,000,000
Assumed debt	$ 2,300,000,000
Net sales				350,000,000
Operating loss				45,000,000
Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries | Customer related intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				1,760,000,000
Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries | Other technology-based intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				1,390,000,000
Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries | Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets				$ 485,000,000
Scott Safety
Supplemental information:
Cash paid			$ 2,000,000,000.0