Divestiture and Divestiture-Related Items (Details)		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2017 USD ($) site	Oct. 27, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 28, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 27, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 28, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 28, 2017 USD ($)
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of businesses				$ 6,058,000,000	$ 0
Gain on sale of businesses		$ (697,000,000)	$ 0	(697,000,000)	0
Divestiture-related items		67,000,000	$ 0	114,000,000	$ 0
Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Nutritional Insufficiency Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of businesses	$ 6,100,000,000
Gain on sale of businesses	$ (697,000,000)
Sale of businesses, number of dedicated manufacturing sites | site	17
Sale of businesses, transitional agreement, manufacture and supply services, term	5 years
Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Nutritional Insufficiency Business | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Inventories, net						$ 371,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net						689,000,000
Goodwill						2,910,000,000
Other intangible assets, net						2,320,000,000
Total assets held for sale						6,290,000,000
Other accrued expenses						34,000,000
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits						12,000,000
Deferred tax liabilities						707,000,000
Other liabilities						1,000,000
Total liabilities held for sale						$ 754,000,000
Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Nutritional Insufficiency Business | Disposal group, disposed of by sale, not discontinued operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Divestiture-related items		$ 67,000,000
Accelerated and incremental stock compensation expense				$ 16,000,000
Maximum | Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Nutritional Insufficiency Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sale of businesses, transitional agreement, administrative services, term	12 months