Acquisitions and Strategic Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions					12 Months Ended
	Oct. 10, 2017	May 16, 2017	Nov. 22, 2016	Aug. 03, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jan. 24, 2018
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer					$ 10	$ 7
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount						116
Equity Method Investments					209	265
Contingent consideration expense					(80)	29	$ 123
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					560	408	1,734
Other Significant Noncash Transaction, Value of Consideration Given					94	50	63
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Asset					169	204	246
Maximum future contingent consideration for acquisitions completed after January 1, 2009					1,320
Contingent consideration recognized in the period					94	50
Adjustments to accrued contingent consideration						1
Goodwill					6,998	6,678	6,473
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability					(80)	29	123
Contingent payment related to business combination					48	122
Cost Method Investments					81	20
Notes receivable from portfolio companies					47	42
Equity Method Investment, Difference Between Carrying Amount and Underlying Equity					212
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Net					103
Payment of contingent consideration						122	213
Purchased research and development [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)					186
2017 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					561
Goodwill					308
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles					278
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)					186
Total					655
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets					45
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities					(58)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Net					104
2016 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired						365
Goodwill						204
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						228
Total					655	458
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Assets						(57)
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred						43
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment						83
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net						228
Contingent consideration recognized in the period						50
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred						458
2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired							1,735
Goodwill							573
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles							1,074
Indefinite-lived intangible assets							6
Total							1,798
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Inventory							103
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets							165
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net							1,080
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Assets, Current							(123)
Contingent consideration recognized in the period							63
Apama [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	$ 175
Potential payments based on acheiving certain milestones	$ 125
Symetis [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		$ 430
EndoChoice [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			$ 213
Business Acquisition, Share Price			$ 8.00
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred			$ 43
Other 2016 Acquisitions [Member] [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred						189
Potential payments based on future sales						125
Celenova [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired							70
Other 2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired							69
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Asset							14
AMS urology portfolio [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired				$ 1,616
Potential payments based on acheiving certain milestones				50
Non-voting Preferred Stock Investment Amount				$ 60
R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration					$ (125)
R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration					2.00%
contingent consideration liability, probability of payment					17.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment					2018
R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration					3.00%
contingent consideration liability, probability of payment					100.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment					2022
revenue-based payments [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, probability of payment					0.00%
revenue-based payments [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, probability of payment					100.00%
Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired					$ 268	$ 176	$ 431
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life					13 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation					24.00%
Technology-related [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life						9 years	11 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation						11.00%	14.00%
Technology-related [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life						13 years	13 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation						20.00%	23.00%
Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired						$ 51	$ 625
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life					13 years
Customer Relationships [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life						9 years	12 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation						11.00%	14.00%
Customer Relationships [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life						13 years	13 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation						12.00%	15.00%
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired					$ 10	$ 1	$ 18
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life					2 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation					24.00%
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | 2016 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life						4 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation						11.00%
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | 2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life							13 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation							14.00%
Purchased research and development [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation					15.00%
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired					$ 464
Purchased research and development [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)					278	$ 92
Purchased research and development [Member] | 2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation							17.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
In-Process Research and Development Acquired							$ 6
Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration					$ (44)
Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration					11.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment					2018
Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration					15.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment					2026
Monte Carlo [Member] | R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment
Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration					$ 0
Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Revenue Volatility - Contingent Consideration
Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment
Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Potential payments based on acheiving certain milestones								$ 125