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Financial Instruments and Related Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions |  |  | 12 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
May 26, 2016 | May 06, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and equivalents |  |  | $ 3,394 | $ 2,801 | $ 2,213 | $ 2,925
Other-than-temporary impairment losses related to investments |  |  | 8 |  |  |
Net realized gains on the Retained Share transactions | $ 537 | $ 611 |  | $ 4,387 |  |
Number of outstanding shares of Baxter common stock acquired in exchange |  |  |  | 11,526,638 |  |
Baxalta Inc |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of outstanding shares of Baxter common stock acquired in exchange | 11,526,638 |  |  |  |  |
Spinoff |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposition of Baxalta shares of common stock | 13,360,527 |  |  |  |  |
U.S. Pension Plan |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Contribution of Retained Shares to pension plan |  | 17,145,570 |  | 17,145,570 |  |
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Money market funds, at carrying value |  |  | 700 |  |  |
Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial Instruments and Fair Value [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Total accounts receivable from certain countries with liquidity issues |  |  | $ 149 | $ 137 |  |

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- Definition Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82887183&loc=d3e6676-107765 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3044-108585 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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- Definition This item represents disclosure of all significant concentrations of credit risk or market risk arising from the subject financial instrument (as defined), whether from an individual counterparty or groups of counterparties. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(3)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(5)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 + Details
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