(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.
The small intestine is approximately 2.5â3 cm in diameter, and is divided into three sections: The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine and is the shortest part of the small intestine. It is where most chemical digestion using enzymes takes place. The jejunum is the middle section of the small intestine.