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Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
Originator-Key-Asymmetric:
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 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 V9qRXKYSeTWQJh9aA0dazT2SOxYCkOPMHtIooHiPMiKdhlMyRzsc2Pu6hkmY58LW
 gomOcR4IJKS3X0g2QM4olA==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001161661-03-000006.txt : 20030623
<SEC-HEADER>0001161661-03-000006.hdr.sgml : 20030623
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20030623164813
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001161661-03-000006
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20030620
FILED AS OF DATE:		20030623

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000010456
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SURGICAL & MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS & APPARATUS [3841]
		IRS NUMBER:				360781620
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE BAXTER PKWY
		STREET 2:		DF2-2W
		CITY:			DEERFIELD
		STATE:			IL
		ZIP:			60015
		BUSINESS PHONE:		8479482000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE BAXTER PARKWAY
		STREET 2:		DF2-2W
		CITY:			DEERFIELD
		STATE:			IL
		ZIP:			60015

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	BAXTER TRAVENOL LABORATORIES INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19880522

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	BAXTER LABORATORIES INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19760608

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			JEHARAJAH NEVILLE J
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001161661

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-04448
		FILM NUMBER:		03753620

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC
		STREET 2:		ONE BAXTER PKWY DF2-2W
		CITY:			DEERFIELD
		STATE:			IL
		ZIP:			60015
		BUSINESS PHONE:		8479482212

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC
		STREET 2:		ONE BAXTER PKWY DF2-2W
		CITY:			DEERFIELD
		STATE:			IL
		ZIP:			60015
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-06-20</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000010456</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BAX</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001161661</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>JEHARAJAH NEVILLE J</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Corporate Vice President</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Deferred Compensation Plan - Baxter Stock Fund</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-06-20</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>48.6</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F4"/><footnoteId id="F6"/></exercise
Date><expirationDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F4"/><footnoteId id="F6"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock, $1 par value</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>48.6</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>10589.4</value><footnoteId id="F5"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Reporting person allocated compensation deferred under Baxter's Deferred Compensation Plan (&amp;quot;Plan&amp;quot;) to the Baxter Common Stock Fund notional investment alternative.  The value of the reporting person's Plan account is based on the performance of the Baxter Common Stock Fund and any o
ther benchmark investment funds selected by the reporting person.  Amounts deferred are not actually invested in the Baxter Common Stock Fund or Baxter Common Stock.</footnote><footnote id="F2">1-for-1</footnote><footnote id="F3">Equal to the amount of compensation deferred under the Plan on June 20, 2003 allocated to the Baxter Common Stock Fund notional investment alternative, divided by $25.91 which was the closing price of Baxter Common Stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on June 20, 2003. </footnote><footnote id="F4">Reporting person's account balance under the Plan is payable in cash after termination of employment or on a future date designated in advance by the reporting person, subject to the terms of the Plan. The reporting person may change investment elections quarterly.</footnote><footnote id="F5">Equal to the reporting person's Baxter Common Stock Fund account balance as of June 20, 2003, divided by $25.91  which was the closing price of Baxter Common Stock on June 20, 2003, as rep
orted by the New York Stock Exchange.</footnote><footnote id="F6">SEC staff has designated &amp;quot;08/08/1988&amp;quot;  as a &amp;quot;dummy date&amp;quot; until the EDGAR system is modified.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>William M. Link, Attorney-in-Fact for Neville J. Jeharajah</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-06-23</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
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