(CNN)Actress Patty Duke died Tuesday as a result of sepsis from a ruptured intestine, according to Mitchell K. Stubbs & Associates, the agency that represented her. She was 69. Sepsis is the body's overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Small intestine. The small intestine or small bowel is the part of the gastrointestinal tract between the stomach and the large intestine, and is where most of the end absorption of food takes place. The small intestine has three distinct regions â the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
Small Intestine. The small intestine is a long, highly convoluted tube in the digestive system that absorbs about 90% of the nutrients from the food we eat.It is given the name âsmall intestineâ because it is only 1 inch in diameter, making it less than half the diameter of the large intestine. Partially digested food, or chyme, from the stomach is mixed with bile from the liver and pancreatic juice from the pancreas to complete its digestion in the duodenum. 2  The jejunum is the middle section of the small intestine that serves as the primary site of nutrient absorption. 3  It measures around 3 feet in length.