Acquisitions and Divestitures - Acquisitions (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) item
Business Acquisitions Information
Accounts receivable		$ 370,000,000		$ 370,000,000
Inventory		186,000,000		186,000,000
Other current assets		67,000,000		67,000,000
Property, plant and equipment		155,000,000		155,000,000
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets		4,081,000,000.000		4,081,000,000.000
Purchased goodwill		3,469,000,000	$ 0	3,469,000,000
Other assets		131,000,000		131,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities		(565,000,000)		(565,000,000)
Interest bearing debt		(2,573,000,000)		(2,573,000,000)
Deferred tax asset/(liability) and accrued income taxes		(312,000,000)		(312,000,000)
Net assets acquired		5,009,000,000		5,009,000,000
Supplemental information:
Cash paid				5,194,000,000
Less: Cash acquired				210,000,000
Cash paid, net of cash acquired			25,000,000	4,984,000,000	$ (13,000,000)
Consideration payable		25,000,000		25,000,000
Net assets acquired		5,009,000,000		5,009,000,000
Net sales			32,184,000,000	32,136,000,000	32,765,000,000
Operating loss			$ (7,161,000,000)	(6,174,000,000)	$ (7,207,000,000)
Number of business combinations completed			0		0
Customer related intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets		2,035,000,000		$ 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		$ 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		$ 496,000,000
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				16 years
Maximum
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			20 years	19 years
Maximum | Customer related intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			20 years
Maximum | Patents
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			20 years
Maximum | Other technology-based intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			20 years
Maximum | Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			20 years
Maximum | Other amortizable intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			8 years
Minimum
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			4 years	6 years
Minimum | Customer related intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			10 years
Minimum | Patents
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			7 years
Minimum | Other technology-based intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			4 years
Minimum | Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			6 years
Minimum | Other amortizable intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)			5 years
Weighted average
Business Acquisitions Information
Intangible assets useful life (in years)				14 years
M*Modal
Business Acquisitions Information
Accounts receivable		75,000,000		$ 75,000,000
Other current assets		2,000,000		2,000,000
Property, plant and equipment		8,000,000		8,000,000
Purchased goodwill		517,000,000		517,000,000
Other assets		58,000,000		58,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities		(127,000,000)		(127,000,000)
Interest bearing debt		(251,000,000)		(251,000,000)
Deferred tax asset/(liability) and accrued income taxes		(24,000,000)		(24,000,000)
Net assets acquired		704,000,000		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		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		275,000,000
M*Modal | Other technology-based intangible assets
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets		160,000,000		160,000,000
M*Modal | Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets		11,000,000		11,000,000
Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries
Business Acquisitions Information
Accounts receivable		295,000,000		295,000,000
Inventory		186,000,000		186,000,000
Other current assets		65,000,000		65,000,000
Property, plant and equipment		147,000,000		147,000,000
Purchased goodwill		2,952,000,000		2,952,000,000
Other assets		73,000,000		73,000,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities		(438,000,000)		(438,000,000)
Interest bearing debt		(2,322,000,000)		(2,322,000,000)
Deferred tax asset/(liability) and accrued income taxes		(288,000,000)		(288,000,000)
Net assets acquired		4,305,000,000		4,305,000,000
Supplemental information:
Cash paid				4,486,000,000
Less: Cash acquired				206,000,000
Cash paid, net of cash acquired				4,280,000,000
Consideration payable		25,000,000		25,000,000
Net assets acquired		4,305,000,000		4,305,000,000
Adjustments to purchase price allocation			$ 34,000,000
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		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		1,390,000,000
Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries | Definite-lived tradenames
Business Acquisitions Information
Purchased finite-lived intangible assets		$ 485,000,000		$ 485,000,000