Long-Term Debt and Short-Term Borrowings - Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Oct. 31, 2019
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
Long Term Debt	$ 18,783	$ 19,359
Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt	$ 806	2,795
Japan subsidiary credit facility
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt		632
Germany subsidiary credit facility
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt		168
Third lien senior secured notes (Third Lien Notes) maturing 2021 | Acelity Inc. and its KCI subsidiaries
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Effective Percentage			12.50%
Current portion of long-term debt
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Effective Percentage	0.78%
Long Term Debt	$ 794	1,841
Commercial paper
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt		150
Other borrowings
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-Term Debt
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Effective Percentage	4.83%
Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt	$ 12	$ 4