Fair value measurement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Jun. 30, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2014 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | $ 29,689 | | $ 26,732 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 50 | | 46 | | | |
Total assets | 29,999 | | 27,170 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 24 | | 26 | | | |
Contingent consideration obligations in connection with business combinations | 215 | | 215 | | | |
Total liabilities | 326 | | 257 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 238 | | 360 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 7 | | 4 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Cross currency swap contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 22 | | 32 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 80 | | 12 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | U.S. Treasury securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 3,610 | | 3,646 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - U.S. [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 551 | | 528 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - Foreign and other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 1,723 | | 1,569 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Financial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 7,426 | | 6,041 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Industrial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 7,629 | | 6,351 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 829 | | 649 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Residential mortgage-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 1,497 | | 1,702 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other mortgage- and asset-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 2,014 | | 1,796 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Money market mutual funds [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 2,951 | | 3,004 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Other short-term interest-bearing securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 1,284 | | 1,302 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Equity securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 175 | | 144 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Total assets | 6,736 | | 6,794 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Contingent consideration obligations in connection with business combinations | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Total liabilities | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Cross currency swap contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | U.S. Treasury securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 3,610 | | 3,646 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - U.S. [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - Foreign and other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Financial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Industrial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Residential mortgage-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Other mortgage- and asset-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Money market mutual funds [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 2,951 | | 3,004 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Other short-term interest-bearing securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) [Member] | Equity securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 175 | | 144 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 50 | | 46 | | | |
Total assets | 23,263 | | 20,376 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 24 | | 26 | | | |
Contingent consideration obligations in connection with business combinations | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Total liabilities | 111 | | 42 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 238 | | 360 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 7 | | 4 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Cross currency swap contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 22 | | 32 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 80 | | 12 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | U.S. Treasury securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - U.S. [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 551 | | 528 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - Foreign and other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 1,723 | | 1,569 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Financial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 7,426 | | 6,041 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Industrial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 7,629 | | 6,351 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 829 | | 649 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Residential mortgage-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 1,497 | | 1,702 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other mortgage- and asset-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 2,014 | | 1,796 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Money market mutual funds [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other short-term interest-bearing securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 1,284 | | 1,302 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Equity securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Total assets | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Interest rate swap contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Contingent consideration obligations in connection with business combinations | 215 | $ 215 | 215 | $ 610 | $ 596 | $ 595 |
Total liabilities | 215 | | 215 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Foreign currency contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Cross currency swap contracts [Member] | | | | | | |
Derivative Assets: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Derivative Liabilities: | | | | | | |
Foreign currency contracts | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | U.S. Treasury securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - U.S. [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other government-related debt securities - Foreign and other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Financial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Industrial [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate debt securities - Other [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Residential mortgage-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other mortgage- and asset-backed securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Money market mutual funds [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other short-term interest-bearing securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | 0 | | 0 | | | |
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Equity securities [Member] | | | | | | |
Assets: | | | | | | |
Total available-for-sale investments | $ 0 | | $ 0 | | | |