A TRIP to the emergency department should be the last thing on anyone's Christmas list.

However, Christmas time tends to be one of the busiest times of the year for hospitals in south-west Queensland.

According to Dr Chris Buck, South West Hospital and Health Service Executive Director of Medical Services, common sense often went out the window and risk-taking behaviour seemed to explode over the Christmas-New Year period.

"Traditionally, the Christmas and New Year periods can be very busy times in any emergency department," Dr Buck said.

"We tend to see an increase in alcohol-related attendances - either in terms of people presenting intoxicated or with injuries resulting from alcohol-related behaviour such as drink-driving, fights, assaults, falls and other accidents."

A total of 532 people presented to the south-west's four main emergency departments at Roma, Charleville, St George and Cunnamulla hospitals between December 24, 2015 and January 1, 2016.

Between December 24, 2014 and January 1, 2015, the four emergency departments recorded 606 presentations, Dr Buck said.

He said risk-taking behaviour tended to increase during any extended public holiday period, even when alcohol was not a factor.

He urged people to think twice before doing anything silly.

"We would ask people to consider the consequences of their actions - on themselves and others - and just try to be a little more moderate and careful in their behaviour," Dr Buck said.

"We don't want to be killjoys; we just want people to avoid hurting themselves as much as possible."

Dr Buck said swimming pools posed particular risks, especially when children were involved.

"If there are young children involved, never leave them in or around the pool, or any body of water for that matter, unsupervised," he said.

Keep an eye on them at all times."