Recent Accounting Guidance Revenue ASU - Income Statement Impact (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended													4 Months Ended	8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017		Aug. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2016
Effect of Adoption of ASU 2017-07 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cost of Goods Sold																	$ 75	$ (153)		$ (18)
Sundry income (expense) - net																	134	(279)		(40)
Research and Development Expense																	19	(42)		(6)
Selling, General and Administrative Expense																	40	(84)		(16)
Effect of Adoption of ASU 2014-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net Sales																			$ (69)
Sundry income (expense) - net																			71
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes																			2
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes on continuing operations																			0
Loss from continuing operations after income taxes																			2
Balance without Adoption of ASU 2014-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net Sales																			26,210
Sundry income (expense) - net																			614
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes																			(4,791)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes on continuing operations																			220
Loss from continuing operations after income taxes																			(5,011)
Previously Reported [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cost of Goods Sold																	6,165	10,205		13,955
Sundry income (expense) - net																	90	166		707
Research and Development Expense																	473	1,064		1,502
Selling, General and Administrative Expense																	1,101	3,306		4,143
Successor [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cost of Goods Sold	$ 1,531	[1]		$ 3,980	[1]	$ 3,686	[1]	$ 5,669	[1]	$ 4,847	[1]	$ 4,709	[1]				6,240		18,182
Net Sales	1,735			5,741		5,294		8,545		6,699		5,318					7,053		26,279
Sundry income (expense) - net																	224		543
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes																	(1,586)		(4,793)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes on continuing operations																	(2,673)		220
Loss from continuing operations after income taxes	$ (275)			$ (351)	[2],[3]	$ (4,960)	[3],[4]	$ 514	[3]	$ (216)	[3]	$ 1,362	[3]				1,087		(5,013)
Research and Development Expense																	492		1,524
Selling, General and Administrative Expense																	$ 1,141		$ 3,853
Predecessor [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cost of Goods Sold			$ 1,937											$ 3,963	$ 4,152			10,052		13,937
Net Sales			2,991											6,971	7,319			17,281		23,209
Sundry income (expense) - net																		(113)		667
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes																		1,791		2,723
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes on continuing operations																		149		641
Loss from continuing operations after income taxes			$ (258)											$ 722	$ 1,178	[5],[6]		1,642		2,082
Research and Development Expense																		1,022		1,496
Selling, General and Administrative Expense																		$ 3,222		$ 4,127

[1] Includes charges of $(360) million and $(1,109) million, $(703) million, $(682) million, $(109) million, and $(134) million during the period September 1 - September 30, 2017, fourth quarter 2017, first quarter 2018, second quarter 2018, third quarter 2018, and fourth quarter 2018, respectively, related to the amortization of inventory step-up as a result of the Merger and the acquisition of the H&N Business. See Note 3 for additional information.

[2] Includes a loss on early extinguishment of debt of $(81) million in the fourth quarter 2018 related to the retirement of some of the company's notes payable. See Note 15 for additional information.

[3] Includes a tax benefit of $2,262 million in the fourth quarter 2017 related to The Act and a benefit related to an internal entity restructuring associated with the Intended Business Separations. Includes tax (charges) benefits of $(102) million, $(7) million, $46 million, and $(167) million in the first quarter 2018, second quarter 2018, third quarter 2018, and fourth quarter 2018, respectively, related to The Act. See Note 9 for additional information.

[4] Includes a tax charge of $(75) million in the third quarter 2018 related to the establishment of a full valuation allowance against the net deferred tax asset position of a legal entity in Brazil. See Note 9 for additional information.

[5] First quarter 2017 included a gain of $162 million recorded in sundry income - net associated with the sale of the company's global food safety diagnostic business. See Note 4 for additional information.

[6] First quarter 2017 included a tax benefit of $53 million, as well as a $47 million benefit on associated accrued interest reversals (recorded in sundry income (expense) - net), related to a reduction in the company’s unrecognized tax benefits due to the closure of various tax statutes of limitations.