Equity (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 02, 2013 item	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) item $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock compensation expense recognized | $		$ 55	$ 44	$ 229	$ 198
Abbott
Stock-Based Compensation
Number of awards received in connection with the separation | item	1
Number of awards granted to employees other than in connection with the separation				0
Stock Options
Stock-Based Compensation
Exercise price for awards granted as percentage of market value on the date of grant				100.00%
Contractual term				10 years
Incremental vesting | item				0.33
Vesting period				3 years
Weighted-average grant-date fair value of the stock options granted | $ / shares				$ 9.96	$ 9.83
Options
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)				28,280
Granted (in shares)				1,207
Exercised (in shares)				(5,002)
Lapsed (in shares)				(43)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)		24,442		24,442		28,280
Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)		21,964
Weighted average exercise price
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 28.53
Granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				58.83
Exercised (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				26.71
Lapsed (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				27.39
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 30.40		$ 30.40		$ 28.53
Exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 27.99
Weighted average remaining life (in years)
Outstanding at the end of the period				3 years 2 months 12 days		3 years 3 months 18 days
Exercisable at end of the period				2 years 7 months 6 days
Aggregate intrinsic value
Outstanding at the beginning of the period | $				$ 1,044
Outstanding at the end of the period | $		$ 592		$ 1,044		$ 1,044
Exercisable at the end of the period | $		580
Additional information
Unrecognized compensation cost | $		6
Period for recognition of unrecognized compensation cost				2 years
Aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised | $		$ 43	39	$ 186	$ 150
Additional information
Period for recognition of unrecognized compensation cost				2 years
RSAs & RSUs
Additional information
Period for recognition of unrecognized compensation cost				2 years
Share units
Unvested shares at the beginning of the period (in shares)				12,815
Granted (in shares)				5,863
Vested (in shares)				(5,608)
Lapsed (in shares)				(456)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)		12,614		12,614
Unvested shares at the end of the period (in shares)						12,815
Weighted average grant date fair value
Unvested shares at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 40.98
Granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				61.03
Vested (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				37.36
Lapsed (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				48.77
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 51.62		$ 51.62
Unvested shares at the end of the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares						$ 40.98
Additional information
Fair market value of awards vested | $		$ 6	$ 7	$ 330	$ 332
Unrecognized compensation cost | $		$ 278
Period for recognition of unrecognized compensation cost				2 years