The fair value of shares purchased during the period under a deferred compensation arrangement.

No definition available.

Name:	bcr_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualFairValueOfSharesPurchased
Namespace Prefix:	bcr_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares expected to be purchased by individuals pursuant to the terms of a deferred compensation arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bcr_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualSharesAnticipatedPurchases
Namespace Prefix:	bcr_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares purchased by individuals pursuant to the terms of a deferred compensation arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bcr_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualSharesPurchased
Namespace Prefix:	bcr_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of employee stock purchase plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bcr_NumberOfEmployeeStockPurchasePlan
Namespace Prefix:	bcr_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period over which the company's performance is evaluated.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bcr_PerformancePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	bcr_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the expense recognized during the period arising from equity-based compensation arrangements (for example, shares of stock, unit, stock options or other equity instruments) with employees, directors and certain consultants qualifying for treatment as employees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

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

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedPeriodForRecognition1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardRequisiteServicePeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The estimated dividend rate (a percentage of the share price) to be paid (expected dividends) to holders of the underlying shares over the option's term.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Description of pertinent provisions of equity-based compensation awards that have actual or potential impact upon the company's financial statements.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardTermsOfAward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Expected term of share-based compensation awards, 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 (f)(2)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.D.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedTerm1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=bcr_PerformanceRestrictedStockUnitsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=bcr_TwoThousandTwelveLongTermIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=bcr_DirectorsPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=bcr_ManagementStockPurchasePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Share-Based Compensation Plans - Additional Information (Detail) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2016 $ / shares shares	Jul. 31, 2015 $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) CompensationPlan shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of employee stock purchase programs \| CompensationPlan							2
Share-based payment arrangements \| $			$ 19.0		$ 17.0		$ 68.3	$ 61.1
Unrecognized compensation expenses related to share-based payment arrangements \| $			$ 109.9				$ 109.9
Weighted-average period of recognizing unrecognized compensation expenses related to share-based compensation, in years							2 years
Performance Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Fair value assumptions, risk-free interest rate				0.83%		0.86%
Fair value assumptions, dividend yield				0.52%		0.51%
Fair value assumptions, expected life in years				2 years 10 months 21 days		2 years 9 months 11 days
Awards requisite service period				3 years		3 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Terms of Award							In the first quarter of each of 2016 and 2015, the company granted performance restricted stock units to certain officers. These units have requisite service periods of three years and have no dividend rights.
Period over which the company's performance is evaluated				3 years
2012 Long Term Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of remaining shares that may be issued			4,670,191				4,670,191
Directors Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of remaining shares that may be issued			26,102				26,102
Management Stock Purchase Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Fair value assumptions, risk-free interest rate	0.39%	0.16%
Fair value assumptions, dividend yield	0.50%	0.60%
Fair value assumptions, expected life in years	7 months 6 days	7 months 6 days
Expected number of shares to be purchased in the period	100,000
Number of shares purchased in period		200,000
Fair value per share of shares authorized for issuance \| $ / shares	$ 83.23	$ 60.47
Fair value assumptions, expected volatility	18.00%	17.00%